What is the Sharia position on using police dogs to bring charges against suspects?

The use of police dogs to identify criminals is considered a modern circumstantial evidence and a method of proof. These dogs possess a strong sense of smell that enables them to detect certain crimes, especially drug-related offenses. There is no شرعي (religiously lawful) objection to this use; it is analogous to keeping dogs for hunting and guarding, and it resembles "al-lawth" (a type of circumstantial evidence) in Islamic jurisprudence. Reliance on these dogs should remain within the bounds of circumstantial evidence and not rise to the level of definitive proofs (bayyinat) upon which rulings are established. Therefore, it does not replace the confession of the accused or the testimony of witnesses.