I'm always kind and gentle, so there's never a need to be afraid of me. I wear a special harness, so young people know who I am when I visit. I work very hard to keep alcohol, other drugs, & weapons out of your schools and I also help teach drug education classes with my partner, Miss Ronda. She and I have been working together for 8 years and I am now her personal service dog! We make a great team but we think you're very special too!

K9 Cassie was 17 years old and served as a drug dog as well as my personal medical assist canine for 15 years.
She suffered from Congestive heart failure and fought it while insisting on working until her death. An NNDDA certified narcotics canine for 13 years and won 7 NNDDA private security places in competition.  

                      

  Buster was a tough dog and hid his illness from me until just last week.  He worked midnight shift on 3/9/05 and finished his tour of duty at 0800 hours.  I brought him to our vet that evening and together we decided that he would need further treatment at the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Hospital.  There, Buster underwent several tests and on Thursday morning the Doctors had diagnosed him with inoperable and terminal cancer.  I picked him up on Thursday afternoon and spent the rest of the day and all day Friday just hanging out with him.  I couldn't help staring into his eyes feeling that I had somehow let him down.  Saturday morning was a beautiful sunny morning.  I let Buster outside and he laid on my back deck just taking it all in.  It's so hard to explain, but when I let him back inside I knew that it was time to let him go.  He just looked tired!  I find comfort in the fact that Buster was not alone when he left this earth.  Present and former K-9 handlers from my department were crowded in the room at the Pitman Animal Hospital.  I'm forever in their debt for the compassion and support that they showed for Buster and me that day.  Dr. Hallman and her assistant Kate were gentle and kind and helped Buster go to rest with all the dignity and respect that he deserved.
 
I'm so grateful that I had the opportunity to be teamed up with Buster.  He was my first Police dog and I'll never forget the times we had together.  I hope that somehow he knew how much he really meant to me.  He protected me every day for eight years and did so much good for the people of our town and in the surrounding towns.  He was fearless to the end and gave me courage when I was unsure of myself.  Part of me has gone with him but I am a better cop and a better person for having known him.  There truly is no better assignment in police work than being assigned to the K-9 Unit!  

This whole thing started a few weeks ago when I adopted a new puppy on a total whim from the Gloucester Co. Animal Shelter.  They always help us out with supplies down there and on this occasion I was only there to get some towels so that I could give Buster a bath.  Something made me ask to check out the dogs just to look around.  I really had no intention of getting another dog right now.  As soon as I walked in their kennel there was a 5 month old Black German shepherd puppy who was the spitting
image of Buster sitting in one of the runs with his ears standing straight up almost in
a triangle touching each other.  They told me that he'd been there almost 1 1/2 months with no one interested.  I adopted him and brought him home the next day.  At first, I thought that Buster was jealous and had a hard time adjusting to the puppy, but he still played with him and tolerated the puppy jumping all over him.  He just was acting "not himself."  After about 3 weeks there was really not much change.  This past week when he was passing up his food I got concerned and took him to the vet. 

Long story short, I'm thinking this puppy came to me for a reason.  He has Buster's face and has really helped me through this time.  I'm hoping that in the 3 short weeks that he and Buster were together, Buster was able to give him a few pointers. Who knows maybe one day I'll get to back to K-9 school.  Wouldn't it be something if this dog got to be a Police Dog?  By the way, I named him "Rizzo" in honor of the former Police Commissioner Frank Rizzo.  When Frank Rizzo ran Philly P.D., everyone of the runs at the Philadelphia Police K-9 Unit was full.  Their numbers have since been greatly reduced.  My little tribute to the great guys who trained Buster and me.

K-9 GARTH
 April 22, 1992 - March 11, 2005

 

Garth will truly be missed by all, particularly his handler, Trooper Jim Grant.