During his career with the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, he uncovered 200 pounds of cocaine, 1,500 pounds of marijuana and $8 million to $10 million in cash and assets.

        Not too shabby, for a dog.

        In his heyday working for the sheriff's department, Regional Narcotics Unit and other agencies on various drug cases, Hammer the Laborador retriever investigated cars, packages, boats and airplanes.

        “There isn't probably a scenario you could come up with that we hadn't done,” said Hammer's handler and partner since 1991, sheriff's detective Rick Sweeney.

        Hammer died Sunday. He had been retired for the last two years, but remained a family pet for the Sweeneys.

        The sheriff's office has five drug-detecting and/or search-and-rescue dogs on active duty.

        Hammer made his debut law-enforcement splash in 1992 by locating $817,000 in marijuana-tainted money, Detective Sweeney said.

        “I guess I feel like I lost not only my dog, but my best friend and my partner,” Detective Sweeney said.

        “I learned more from him than he learned from me. He pushed me to a higher level. He was always something special.”

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