(Photo courtesy of Jack Reynolds)
Having grown up with dogs, I immediately incorporated them into my fledgling family after we had established a permanent residence. Since then, they have been a part of our family. Dogs have become a part of my children’s families.
The profound dynamics that dogs offer to a family or even simply to an individual owner are well known to all dog owners. People who have never owned a dog or don’t own one may find it difficult to relate to those who do. I think those who don’t have a dog are missing out on a lot of happiness in life. Everyone is allowed to make their own decisions and deal with the consequences of their decisions, including furniture that has been chewed on, floors that are strewn with dog toys that could trip people, etc.
One of my daughter’s childhood friends became a K-9 handler for a federal agency after entering the police department. Since then, the training and work ethic of these canines, as well as the daily contributions they make to law enforcement operations, have captivated me. The service dog training industry has actually grown rapidly, educating dogs to help their owners/handlers with a variety of mental and physical health concerns while also offering a secure atmosphere.
Numerous social media platforms are dedicated to K-9s and their handlers. Some provide entertaining videos that the handlers created in an effort to soften the public’s view of the dogs’ aggression. Others are more operational and are managed by their respective agency to honor some of these canines’ valiant actions. They’re all fascinating.
According to one account from the South, a state trooper was called to an accident scene. There was not a single car visible when we arrived. In case the car veered off the road, the officer instinctively started searching inside the wood line. The cop was shot at, and this escalated into an ambush scenario. He successfully returned fire and deployed his K-9 partner by pressing the door release button on his vest. While the police and oncoming backup support apprehended the second assailant, the dog pursued and detained one of the gunmen.
We hear nearly endless success tales of K-9 canines being used to find people trapped in rubble, identify explosives, and detect drugs. Beyond teaching elementary school kids about law enforcement, these animals perform genuinely admirable tasks.
Naturally, the work they do and the risks they take have a darker side. More and more K-9s and even their handlers appear to be suffering fatal injuries while performing their duties lately. The suspect in the deadly shooting of a Houston, Texas sheriff’s officer was recently discovered hiding in a dumpster by a U.S. marshal’s K-9, which was helping with the search for the culprit. After shooting the dog, the suspect fled. The K-9 lost a leg but lived. After being tracked down once more, the suspect decided to shoot at armed officers, a decision he did not make.
Recently, a barricaded suspect attempting to flee shot and killed a state police K-9 in Maine. Later, the suspect shot the K-9 handler, who shot back, neutralizing the suspect.
I want to draw attention to how important these sometimes overlooked law enforcement personnel have become. Any violent act committed against a K-9 officer, in my opinion, ought to be handled the same way as one committed against a human cop. While not all states have that statute, many do.
The costs of training, equipment, and medical care while on active service can be covered by grants from a number of national volunteer groups. Some even offer retiring K-9s financial aid because they frequently retire with injuries sustained on the job that necessitate care that is not covered by the organization they worked for.
The expense of purchasing, training, equipping, maintaining, and providing medical care for K-9s is substantial, even if it is a small portion of what it would cost for human officers.
One organization that our local police departments have brought up that has resulted in good relations is the National Police Canine Association. I urge you to check out NPCA and think about making a donation if you are interested. They don’t charge for salaries and are run entirely by volunteers.
Just as much as our two-legged officers deserve our respect and assistance, so do our K-9 officers.
Little Egg Harbor is where Tom Meredith resides.