Photo courtesy of Beverly Moody Karen Powell, of Ridgeland, Miss., walks with her Leader Dog, Libby, for the first time.

By Jennie Miller
C & G Staff Writer

Whether it’s retrieving the morning newspaper, sniffing out bombs and narcotics, or being the eyes and ears for people who are blind or deaf, dogs are on the job.

“Dogs are able to do a lot of things,” said Rick Napolitano, who owns Top Dog K9 in Shelby, a training facility for dogs from the family pet to the member of a police department’s K-9 unit. “They can find bombs and narcotics, and they can track people on a scent on the ground; they are just extraordinary in that sense. They can do things that man can’t.”

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard was well aware of the talents pooches possess, and thus formed the K-9 unit within the department upon his election to the post in 2000.

“Now we have one of the largest units in the state,” Bouchard said. “We can do things that without (the dogs), we couldn’t do. … Their abilities are so unique and important to us in a large variety of situations. They can track a suspect on foot, find lost children, detect explosive devices, which, in a post-9/11 world, is very important to us.”

There are currently 15 dogs in the Oakland County Sheriff’s Canine Unit, one of which is assigned to the correctional facilities and another assigned to the Narcotics Enforcement Team. The rest are on patrol.

Using dogs in law enforcement is not expected to ever become obsolete, Bouchard said.

“No matter how far we’ve gone in technology, we don’t have the ability to do the things those dogs can do,” Bouchard said. “There is no technology that has the ability to track or detect to the same level that dogs do. They are amazing animals, and they are an amazing asset. I’m very proud of them.”

Working dogs have the ability to transform the lives of their handlers, as is evident through the work of Leader Dogs for the Blind.

“People will always tell us that it enhances their independence,” said organization spokesperson Beverly Moody. “Some people will describe the dogs as their left arm.”

Through Leader Dogs for the Blind, pups are paired with volunteers, who raise and housebreak the animals, and teach them basic manners and general obedience for the first 15 months of their lives. The pups get to go on field trips with their handlers to expose them to the public at grocery stores, schools, crowded streets, etc. Then the pooches are handed over to professional dog trainers, who work with them for four months before pairing them with an individual who is blind.

“We have puppy raisers in 22 different states,” Moody said of the organization that was founded in Rochester in 1939 by a group of Lion’s Club members. “We would not be able to do this without them. Right now, there are about 400 puppies growing up. … It’s a wonderful program.”

Most of the dogs used by Leader Dogs for the Blind are Labradors or golden retrievers. Some are also German shepherds, which is the breed predominantly used by police departments.

“These dogs are very versatile,” Moody said of all three breeds. “They are intelligent and eager to work.”

“These dogs want to please,” Napolitano added. “They want that structure in their life.”

Like Leader Dogs for the Blind, Paws with a Cause also works with dogs locally to enhance the lives of their handlers, in this case, individuals who are hearing impaired. For more information about these charitable organizations, visit the Web sites www.leaderdogs.org or www.pawswithacause.org.

For more information about Top Dog K9, visit the Web site, www.topdogk9.net.

You can reach Staff Writer Jennie Miller at jmiller@candgnews.com or at (586) 279-1108.