đ Can a stray dog be trusted with an important job?
What makes a shelter dog less adoptable?
Fur color, large size, age, high energy levels⌠Many of these things take even the most âperfectâ dog off many peopleâs lists.
And after months and months in a shelter, some of the best dogs can lose hope.
The longer they spend in the shelter, the more they start to regress, and the more their chance of being adopted dwindles.
But when shelter staff spend so much time with these dogs, they know their true potential. Behind the stress, the anxiety, the calls for attentionâThey know how the dog really is.
Thatâs exactly how one âat riskâ dog named Stetson got a second chanceâŚ
And ended up as the newest member of a sheriffâs office SRO (School Resource Officer) Unit as a specially trained detection K9.
The call that changed Stetsonâs life
âBetween watching the videos and talking to the shelter staff, we saw the dog's motivation to work⌠He was just high drive, with non-stop detail to following commands and playing ball. That's what we're looking for in a drug dogâWe want that high drive. We saw that and thought there was potential.â
Captain Zimmerman has been with the Bedford County Sheriffâs Office in Virginia for 29 years and during that time, many of his roles have involved dogs.
Throughout his career, heâs been a handler to three different police dogs.
Now, in his current role in the operations division, working with Animal Control and the K9 Unit lends many opportunities to stay involved with dogs in various ways. Heâs also a trainer with the Virginia Police Work Dog Association.
Itâs safe to say that throughout the past nearly 3 decades, Captain Zimmerman knows what to look for in a K9 partner.
So when he learned about Stetson, he identified the potential right away.
âSomeone reached out to me and was like, âI don't know if y'all need a dog, or if you can help us out with this dog. Weâve got some connections down there and they say the guy that's tested him is great at this.â I said, âWell, we'll look at him and see.ââ
After watching just a few videos, he was convinced.
He made a phone call to Steve Gatlin, Director of Wilson County Animal Control in Tennessee to learn more about Stetson. After a few more videos of the dog, and a few more conversations with Steve, Captain Zimmerman was planning a trip to meet him.
A shelter dogâs big break
âI figured we'd take a chance and see what happens. At the worst, we just wasted hours out of our day driving, no big deal. And we'd already said, if he didn't make it through police training, he'd be a comfort dog here around the office.â
Without knowing how Stetson would do in training, one thing was for sure: he was getting out of the shelter no matter what.
Ideally, they wanted him to work with an SRO (School Resource Officer), so his training would involve detection for items that werenât necessarily illegalâJust not permitted at school.
Since Captain Zimmerman had always worked in narcotics detection, he sought out the help from someone who worked more closely in the areas Stetson would be trained for.
After picking up Stetson, they headed straight to Kentucky for training. He was one ready dog.
âRight after hours in the car, he just did a few small tests with him⌠And he was knocking it out of the park right off the bat. We were very enthused about that.â
From there, Stetson officially started his training.
For over 4 weeks, he worked closely with his trainer, learning how to identify the different odorsâvapes, nicotine, marijuana, and gunpowderâheâd eventually be responsible for detecting.
Then, his future handler, Deputy DeSilvey, went to Kentucky for a couple weeks to complete training together.
With a certification in hand (well, paw đ), Stetson was officially ready to report for duty.
A new life as a K9 SRO
âOnce you put a certain collar or vest on them, or you go start the vehicle to get it ready, it starts firing them up at that point. They're ready to go⌠They jump in that vehicle and they know then it's time to go to work.â
Stetson works a â9-5â right alongside his handler, mostly visiting over 20 locations within Bedford County Public Schools, as well as schools in surrounding jurisdictions.
Sometimes, they show up for a âpop up searchâ and other times, they have scheduled visits with the principal.
Regardless of the situation, Stetson knows when heâs there, heâs got an important job to do.
He walks the school campuses with Deputy DeSilvey, helping deter harmful substances while also building positive relationships with the students.
And thatâs easy to do⌠Heâs a very good boy with a friendly, loving personality!
To keep his skills sharp, Stetson and his handler are always working on training.
Whether itâs a small activity each day to keep him working, formal training each month, or annual re-certification, heâs always ready to show off what he can do.
Do police dogs get love too?
âThe other day, Deputy DeSilvey came into the office. He got out of the truck and just as the office door shut, Stetson started barking and wailing for him. I was like, âMan, he got pretty attached pretty quick!â He does settle down, but once he sees Deputy DeSilvey go out of sight, it gets him all worked up.â
When a dog first gets assigned to a handler, itâs just the beginning of a very special connection.
Not only does this dog-human duo work together, but they spend every day of their lives together from that point forward.
On the job, every day is an opportunity to work on honing their communicationâWhat are they telling each other without even saying a word?
A K9 is going to feed off their handlerâs energy. If theyâre in a bad mood, the dog will know.
âWe always used to say in training that it runs down the leash, the dog feels it. If you get stressed, the dog's gonna be stressed.â
Likewise, the handler has to be able to read the dog.
âThey need to know whether he's in odor, whether he's found something, whether he's just messing with him because he's having a bad day or something⌠So they have to build that bond between the two of them.â
That means when theyâre not working, theyâre spending lots of quality time together.
Stetson gets to play fetch throughout the day, even when heâs working!
At home, he also has Deputy DeSilveyâs two young children to play with too. Thereâs always someone to play or snuggle with.
Working on building their relationship at home helps solidify that bond and connection during the times when it really matters.
And to think, this sweet shelter dog was overlooked time and time again. All he needed was a sense of purpose.
Overlooked for no reason
âThe shelter dogs need a second chance at life. You don't know if they really got a good deal on their first chance, what their circumstances are, or why they ended up that way. But there's obviously more than enough to pick from.â
Throughout his years of service, Captain Zimmerman has always understood how rewarding it can be to consider shelter dogs.
Whether youâre looking for a home companion, a working dog, or even a K9 like Stetson, chances are, youâll find a perfect fit at a local shelter.
And whether they fulfill that by being the worldâs best cuddler or they get to do âjobsâ out on a farm, theyâre waiting for their big break out of the shelter too.
For exampleâŚ
Just a couple years before Captain Zimmerman got involved with the K9 Unit, the sheriffâs office brought in a dog named Mac.
Wandering the streets, this sweet Rottweiler was found with a chain embedded in his neck. But he hadnât given up.
After being rescued, he went through training and ended up being a great police dog. All because someone gave him a chance.
The attention they deserve
Whether your petâs a certified homebody or theyâve got an important job to do, they rely on you for routine, love, and care.
But if you had to step away for a couple days, could someone give them exactly what they needed?
If you experienced an emergency, would someone be able to pick up right where you left off?
Putting a Cotl plan in place ensures your pet is taken care of, just the way theyâre used to, no matter what.
