Rusik was the firstStall, S. (2007) 100 Cats Who Changed Civilization: History's Most Influential Felines p.166. Quirk Books Retrieved January 2012 Russian police sniffer cat in Stavropol, a city near the Caspian Sea. He made an important contribution in the search for hidden illegal cargoes of sturgeon fish, an endangered species, and caviar.Choron, S., Choron, H. & Moore, A. (2007) Planet Cat: A CAT-alog p.127. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Retrieved January 2012

Rusik began his sniffing career when he first appeared at a police checkpoint in 2002. Following his adoption by the staff, Rusik demonstrated his ability to sniff out sturgeon-smugglers' stashes with accuracy. His talent for sniffing out poached fish soon found him taking over the job of the police's canine team member.

Rusik died in the line of duty in June 2003, when he was hit by a car during an inspection, immediately after searching a bus.Allred, P.A. (2005) Cats' most wanted: the top 10 book of mysterious mousers, talented tabbies, and feline oddities p.55. Potomac Books, Inc. Retrieved January 2012 He had apparently found smuggled sturgeon in the same car some time before, according to personnel at the police checkpoint. . Rusik was a tabby with only a year's service at the time of his death.

See also List of individual cats

References

External links BBC News The purrfect crime fighter BBC News Fishy end for feline sleuth ABC News Curiosity kills sniffer cat: Rusik dies in line of duty