Sarah Hahner doesn’t want anyone to think she doesn’t take her job seriously. She does.

But when she’s out in the woods playing with Sadie, her 2-year-old black Labrador, or boarding a boat to head up the river under the Florida sun, the job feels more like fun than work.

Hahner, 29, is an officer with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). With an associate’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Alabama and several years of experience on the job, Hahner recently returned to school for a different type of education. In April, 2007, she completed a three-month academy at Camp Blanding in Jacksonville to become the first female FWC K-9 officer in the state of Florida.

Now she and Sadie are a team and valuable assets to the FWC.

“This is a dream job,” said Hahner who spends her time outdoors with Sadie by her side.

But it isn’t the stereotypical female career, and Hahner would like to see that change.

“The reason I’m doing this interview is because I want women to know that this is a very self-rewarding and challenging career.”

As a female in any male-dominated career, there are challenges, but she knows that she has earned her position with the FWC.

“I have confidence in my agency that I got my position purely on my merit. They did not ‘give the job to a woman’ as some might believe.”

“We are very thankful to have Sarah here,” said FWC law enforcement supervisor Captain Mary Sumner.

“She’s developing into a fine, fine officer.”

Hahner feels there are more women out there who would be interested in a career with the FWC, but said, “They just don’t know enough about us. We are the best-kept secret in law enforcement. People don’t know who we are or what we do. I believe when more people find out about what we do, there will be more interest in our job.”

Although Hahner initially thought to follow in her mother’s footsteps as a speech therapist, her own interest in law enforcement came alive as she listened to the stories told by her father, Richard Hahner.

“My greatest hero is my father, and he is retired with the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency).”

At age 19, Hahner went to work for the Pensacola Police Department, first as a traffic cadet, later as a dispatcher.

Not wanting to be confined to a position indoors, she enrolled in the National Parks Service seasonal academy when she was 22. Upon graduation, she learned that the agency wasn’t hiring.

“So, I put in applications for all state agencies,” she said.

What stood out, above all the other organizations, was the FWC “with the combination of managed areas and law enforcement,” Hahner said.

FROM THE OFFICE TO THE GREAT OUTDOORS

When the FWC needed an officer to live on Deerfield Beach Island, Hahner found herself operating air boats, wrestling alligators and running swamp buggies. As an officer, she was on the island to protect the human and wildlife inhabitants, but she held the position of FWC public relations liaison as well, representing Broward County and the parks and recreations department.

The three years on Deerfield Beach Island with her dog, Jethro, as her only constant companion, proved to be a sometimes inconvenient adventure.

“The only way to the grocery store was by boat,” she said. “The only way to get home was by boat.”

It is said that adversity makes you stronger, and facing your fears gives you confidence. An early morning confrontation against an unexpected adversary tested Hahner’s strength, quick thinking and self-confidence.

On patrol, alone, at 2 a.m., Hahner came face to face with a wanted felon. Wanted for 23 counts of battery on law enforcement officers and two counts of terrorism, the man was “three times my size,” Hahner said.

“That’s when you learn to use your skills, such as verbal skills,” she said. “Your mouth is your most powerful weapon.”

Employing “verbal judo and charm,” carefully explaining why it was in his best interest to cooperate, Hahner said she was able to take the felon into custody.

“I had to get him on his knees,” she said. “He was hard to contain. I used two pair of handcuffs.”

And then, said Hahner, “you go home and have to adjust to your regular life.”

A JOB THAT DEFINES YOU

Now Sadie is part of that regular life. Sleek and soft and full of energy, she is a constant companion at home and at work. Training is an ongoing and constant practice, whether Hahner is working alone or with other K-9 officers and their dogs.

“K-9s are trained specifically for ‘scent discrimination to assist law enforcement personnel in tracking violators and fleeing felons, assisting with search warrants, detecting concealed wildlife, fish or firearms and conducting area searches for evidence recovery,’” Hahner said, referencing the K-9 Operations Manual.

Sadie is certified for alligator meat, dear meat and turkey and is being trained to sniff out duck, dove and marine resources. She’s also great at sniffing out drugs, according to Sumner.

Whether in pursuit of a deer poacher who tossed a gun as he ran or searching the vehicle of a bird hunter who is over the bag limit, Sadie’s nose is the FWC’s best weapon. At Sarah’s command Sadie can sniff out a discarded firearm, chase a hunter through the woods, even when he has crossed a river or stream, or locate birds stashed in a hiding place in a vehicle.

“No matter where you hide it, she’s going to find it,” Sumner said.

Working with Sadie is just an added bonus in a career than gives Hahner a great deal of satisfaction. Much of that satisfaction comes from the camaraderie and support of her fellow officers and the knowledge that she is doing her part to preserve the natural resources of the area for future generations and “for my … future … children.”

“There are times when I ask, ‘Why am I doing this?’ at the end of a bad day. But work and the good in it, bring back the passion. I’m constantly learning life lessons. I know who I am now. This job really defines who you are.”