Secret Service dog dies after fall from deck

Animal was doing sweep of hotel where Biden was speaking

From Jonathan Helman CNN
POSTED: 3:54 PM Jan 30 2013   UPDATED: 9:00 AM Jan 27 2013
Secret Service
(CNN) -

A Secret Service dog fell to its death Saturday night while doing a sweep of a multi-story parking deck near a hotel where Vice President Joe Biden was speaking.

The Belgian Malinois fell from the roof of the six-story deck adjacent to The Ritz-Carlton in New Orleans where Biden was speaking at a fundraiser for U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, reported CNN affiliate WWL.

Secret Service spokesman Max Milien told CNN the death was a "tragic accident."

The agency began its canine program in 1975 to detect explosives. It uses Belgian Malinois because they are small and have short hair -- making it easy for them to work in the heat. They are also very sociable.

Each dog and its handler has to complete 20 weeks of training before beginning work, the agency said.

When it's time for a dog to retire -- usually after about 10 years -- it is retired to its handler.

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