Marin Independent Journal (San Rafael, CA)
July 18, 2012
Section: News
July 18, 2012
Section: News
Janis Mara Marin
Independent Journal
METZ THE police dog
races onto the Novato High School baseball field at top speed, a brown streak
with a bobbing tail galloping from side to side, nose to the ground. Suddenly
he comes to a full stop and lowers himself to the ground, eyes fixed on his
handler. The Belgian
Malinois had located his handler's cell phone, hidden in the vast expanse of
the field, in less than a minute. The feat, an everyday one to Metz, took place
during training exercises Wednesday.
Finding objects by scent is just one of Metz's many skills as a member of the Novato Police K-9 unit. The Pennies for Police Dogs fundraising campaign is seeking to raise $10,000 to expand the skills of Metz's two fellow canine officers to narcotics identification.
"Training the dogs to sniff out narcotics will act as a force multiplier — the dogs can take the place of multiple officers in finding illegal drugs, as well as searching for suspects," said Police Chief Jim Berg. "We will focus on the most prevalent drugs we encounter, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana and heroin."
There are specific advantages in using police dogs for narcotics detection, according to the head of Novato's K-9 unit.
"A dog can search a vehicle stuffed with clothes, bags and all the other garbage people carry around and find drugs in less than half the time it would take an officer," said Kevin Naugle, coordinator of the K-9 unit and handler of Ingo, one of Metz's canine colleagues. "Their sense of smell is so acute, they can smell drugs in a car with the windows rolled up by sniffing the seams."
Already, Metz and his handler, Officer Jeff Ames, are certified in the detection of narcotics, Berg said. The department, the only one in Marin with a K-9 unit, was able to add a new dog, Lex, last year thanks to the efforts of Pennies for Police Dogs and now has three dogs, Berg said.
Founded by Novato resident Toni Shroyer in March 2011, the organization raises money by any means necessary: Bake sales, including one planned for the Lucky supermarket on Grant Avenue in August; containers at local pet stores, including Novato Horse & Pet Supply; coins children pick up in the street; donations from local organizations such as Rotary; and just about anything else that's legal.
"Last year in March my 9-year-old son and I were out for a bike ride and I saw a blatant drug deal right in the middle of the day at Diablo Avenue and Center Road," Shroyer said. "I told my son, 'We need another police dog for narcotics.
"He said, 'I have two pennies.' And that's how Pennies for Police Dogs was born."
"Prior to the formation of this organization last year, we had gotten donations from the public, but not to the same magnitude," Berg said. "It's (Pennies for Police Dogs) a grassroots effort that raised $11,500 for us to buy Lex and identify a trainer and get them sent to basic training."
Now, Pennies for Police Dogs seeks to raise the money to train Lex and Ingo in narcotics detection.
Like any seasoned professionals, the three dogs, Ingo, a German Shepherd Dog, Lex and Metz, both Belgian Malinois, keep their skills polished through on-the-job training. At the baseball field, instructor Zoltan Nagy of Fresno-based Heritage Canine, a school for police dogs, put Ingo and Metz through their paces Wednesday. Lex and his handler Kendrick Pilegaard were out working the streets together.
When not on duty, the dogs chill out at their handler's homes.
"My former dog, Kyto, once subdued a crowd of 100 people that would have taken six officers to get under control," Naugle said. "It was a party of young people three or four years ago that got out of control, with multiple fights.
"I brought my partner (Kyto) in. He sat and barked and moved from side to side, backing people up — they didn't want any part of him. Soon he had cleared the room," he said.
At the baseball field, Naugle issues commands: "Coucher," meaning, "Lie down." Since Metz is Belgian, it seems only logical to speak to him in French.
"They are trained in French," Naugle said. When it's time to search for an item, the handler says, "Cherchez," as in "Cherchez la femme."
When Ames and Naugle rap out a command, the two dogs fly off as one, halting about 10 feet away, then waiting at attention.
"We've had such tremendous support from the community, and we really appreciate it," Naugle said. As if on cue, Metz, just told to stand down by Ames, lets out a bark and sits, wagging his tail.
Contact Janis Mara via email at jmara@marinij.com. Follow her at Twitter.com/jmara.
HOW TO DONATE to pennies for police dogs
• Mail a check made out to "Novato Police Dogs" to the Novato Police K-9 unit, attn: Chief Berg, 909 Machin Ave., Novato 94945.
• Drop the money into the container at Novato Horse & Pet Supply, 7546 Redwood Ave., in Novato.
• In August, drop by Lucky's Supermarket on Grant Avenue in Novato and buy some baked goods from the Pennies for Police Dogs table.
• For more information, call 892-3662.
Finding objects by scent is just one of Metz's many skills as a member of the Novato Police K-9 unit. The Pennies for Police Dogs fundraising campaign is seeking to raise $10,000 to expand the skills of Metz's two fellow canine officers to narcotics identification.
"Training the dogs to sniff out narcotics will act as a force multiplier — the dogs can take the place of multiple officers in finding illegal drugs, as well as searching for suspects," said Police Chief Jim Berg. "We will focus on the most prevalent drugs we encounter, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana and heroin."
There are specific advantages in using police dogs for narcotics detection, according to the head of Novato's K-9 unit.
"A dog can search a vehicle stuffed with clothes, bags and all the other garbage people carry around and find drugs in less than half the time it would take an officer," said Kevin Naugle, coordinator of the K-9 unit and handler of Ingo, one of Metz's canine colleagues. "Their sense of smell is so acute, they can smell drugs in a car with the windows rolled up by sniffing the seams."
Already, Metz and his handler, Officer Jeff Ames, are certified in the detection of narcotics, Berg said. The department, the only one in Marin with a K-9 unit, was able to add a new dog, Lex, last year thanks to the efforts of Pennies for Police Dogs and now has three dogs, Berg said.
Founded by Novato resident Toni Shroyer in March 2011, the organization raises money by any means necessary: Bake sales, including one planned for the Lucky supermarket on Grant Avenue in August; containers at local pet stores, including Novato Horse & Pet Supply; coins children pick up in the street; donations from local organizations such as Rotary; and just about anything else that's legal.
"Last year in March my 9-year-old son and I were out for a bike ride and I saw a blatant drug deal right in the middle of the day at Diablo Avenue and Center Road," Shroyer said. "I told my son, 'We need another police dog for narcotics.
"He said, 'I have two pennies.' And that's how Pennies for Police Dogs was born."
"Prior to the formation of this organization last year, we had gotten donations from the public, but not to the same magnitude," Berg said. "It's (Pennies for Police Dogs) a grassroots effort that raised $11,500 for us to buy Lex and identify a trainer and get them sent to basic training."
Now, Pennies for Police Dogs seeks to raise the money to train Lex and Ingo in narcotics detection.
Like any seasoned professionals, the three dogs, Ingo, a German Shepherd Dog, Lex and Metz, both Belgian Malinois, keep their skills polished through on-the-job training. At the baseball field, instructor Zoltan Nagy of Fresno-based Heritage Canine, a school for police dogs, put Ingo and Metz through their paces Wednesday. Lex and his handler Kendrick Pilegaard were out working the streets together.
When not on duty, the dogs chill out at their handler's homes.
"My former dog, Kyto, once subdued a crowd of 100 people that would have taken six officers to get under control," Naugle said. "It was a party of young people three or four years ago that got out of control, with multiple fights.
"I brought my partner (Kyto) in. He sat and barked and moved from side to side, backing people up — they didn't want any part of him. Soon he had cleared the room," he said.
At the baseball field, Naugle issues commands: "Coucher," meaning, "Lie down." Since Metz is Belgian, it seems only logical to speak to him in French.
"They are trained in French," Naugle said. When it's time to search for an item, the handler says, "Cherchez," as in "Cherchez la femme."
When Ames and Naugle rap out a command, the two dogs fly off as one, halting about 10 feet away, then waiting at attention.
"We've had such tremendous support from the community, and we really appreciate it," Naugle said. As if on cue, Metz, just told to stand down by Ames, lets out a bark and sits, wagging his tail.
Contact Janis Mara via email at jmara@marinij.com. Follow her at Twitter.com/jmara.
HOW TO DONATE to pennies for police dogs
• Mail a check made out to "Novato Police Dogs" to the Novato Police K-9 unit, attn: Chief Berg, 909 Machin Ave., Novato 94945.
• Drop the money into the container at Novato Horse & Pet Supply, 7546 Redwood Ave., in Novato.
• In August, drop by Lucky's Supermarket on Grant Avenue in Novato and buy some baked goods from the Pennies for Police Dogs table.
• For more information, call 892-3662.
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