Keeping Man’s Best Friend Healthy

Delphos Animal Hospital, Lima Police Work Together for Canine Unit

By Kate Ellis
kellis@the419.com

LIMA – Police dogs often stand in between officers and criminals, and just like their human counterparts, injury in the line of duty is a possibility. So when Ron Conner, who has since retired, became the first sergeant of the canine unit at the Lima Police Department, he chose to ask a veterinarian he was familiar with to take care of the dogs.

Thirteen years later the Lima Police Department still works with the Delphos Animal Hospital, which provides emergency care in the event of trauma, as well as preventative care for the canine unit. Both parties agree the relationship is great.

“In the event that there would be a canine related injury, we usually contact them and advise them of the circumstances,” said Nick Hart, a sergeant with the canine unit at the Lima Police Department. “It’s been my experience that they have us rush the dogs right out, regardless of what their appointment schedule is.”

Although it is rare for the dogs to be injured, Lima Police have a direct line to the hospital, so if anything does happen care can quickly be administered.

“They seem to make us a very high priority,” Hart said. “We trust them a lot.”

Grizz, a 2-year-old male German Shepherd dog, was the most recent injury that happened in the line of duty. The injury occurred during the apprehension of a suspect police believed to be involved in a Dollar General burglary. The suspect had fled and officers gave chase, along with Grizz. When the suspect dove under a porch Grizz was sent underneath to follow him. The suspect began to punch and kick him in the face, still trying to escape.

Grizz eventually was able to get ahold of the suspect’s leg, and held him. At that point the suspect was apprehended, and placed in handcuffs.

Grizz had been struck in the muzzle, and had minor injuries from the scuffle.

“Initially there was some bleeding around (Grizz’s) teeth,” Hart said. “That’s what lead to the concern that he would need to get checked by the vet.” When an injury occurs handlers are able to communicate to the hospital, and the hospital can determine if the dog needs to be seen.

“His handler paged us through our emergency line,” Dr. Bonnie Jones, veterinarian and co-owner of the Delphos Animal Hospital, said. “I asked him a series of questions over the phone. It was apparent the dog was acting very normally, with no visible wounds, but he described that he had been kicked pretty hard, so that may not necessarily show up.”

Grizz was brought to the hospital the next morning. “The dog, by all rights, probably should have been sore,” Jones said. “He was pretty unscathed. We watched him walk, he was appropriate with his commands, didn’t show any pain when we checked him over.”

Grizz was deemed healthy, and he was eager to go back to work.

While always available in a time of injury, the hospital also provides primary care: check-ups, health screenings for potential new dogs, and recommendations for diet. In addition the hospital has provided skin care for allergies and dealt with kidney disease. Dental care and eye care is also important for the dogs. Eyesight is important for the dogs; handlers rely on their vision. Jones has trained handlers to look for signs of eye failure, as well as other medical issues.

“We help (the handlers) do the health part of their jobs for the dogs,” Jones said. “I’ve trained them how to pass stomach tubes, they all carry stomach tubes in their vehicles. That’s an emergency that German Shepherds and other deep chested dogs would experience.”

The 13-year relationship between the Delphos Animal Hospital and the Lima Police Department began as a personal one. Conner, now retired, had begun to take his own pets to the hospital for care. After getting familiar with the practice, he asked if the hospital would be willing to begin taking care of the canine unit. Jones and her husband, who is co-owner and also a veterinarian at Delphos Animal Hospital, agreed.

“The dogs change, the handlers change, but they are all very consistent in their roles, handling the dogs, and caring for the dogs,” Jones said. “It has been a very positive relationship, I don’t think there is anything I would change about it.”

The dogs mean a lot to the canine handlers, which makes the relationship between the two important. Hart has a 6-year-old male named Bailey.

“Honestly, I’d feel naked without him,” Hart said. “He is your partner every day and every night for the last four years, no matter what I’m doing he is with me. At least a couple times, if not for him we may have had to resort to a lethal force situation. They keep me out of trouble.”

Jones knows how important the dogs are to their handlers.

“When they have had, what the handler deemed an emergency, I mean these dogs are like their kids, and you have to reassure them just as you would any pet owner that their kid is okay,” Jones said.