Traffic stops for no one — except the FBI
As you know, I’ve been focusing on other things lately so I haven’t had a chance to tell you about this dog. However, as soon as I heard about it I wrote a draft and promised myself we’d get back to it.
Today we are getting back to it.
On October 29, 2009 a police dog was fatally wounded during a shootout in a Detroit suburb. That does suck but I guess the dog probably knew that was a possibility when it joined the police force.
You may wonder why this is news; allow me to tell you.
On that Wednesday at 12:25 pm the FBI landed the helicopter, carrying the dog, in the middle of a busy road in front of the vet’s office.
Five lanes of oncoming traffic encountered an FBI helicopter landing in the middle of the road. That would freak me out.
I would further be freaked out to watch FBI agents carry the dog into the hospital. As you know, the dog died. But it died with fanfare.
The most surprising piece of this tale — besides the obvious — is the fact that there were no injuries and no traffic mishaps as a result of the unusual landing.
Alright, she said while she rolled up her sleeves, this brings up a lot of questions for me.
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Side note on the 21-gun salute: I have attended one funeral that included the famed salute. It scared the living shit out of me.
I knew it was coming and it still jacked my heart rate up to 147 bpm. And as I recall, there were seven gunmen. So that means my ticker got a jolt not once, not twice but three times.
It was still cool though.
Back to the FBI dog.
Tags: Things that mystify me
From what I know from books and movies, I think the dog is essentially treated like a combination pet/partner. So the officer he’s assigned to is his partner, but is also his master. I assume the officer gets some kind of dog stipend to cover food, vet bills, etc., but I don’t actually know. Now I’m all curious!
As for the funeral, who pays for it when a human cop dies in action? Is it still the responsibility of the family, or does the department kick in? I’d imagine that the dog gets more of a normal dog funeral, either cremated or whatever the human partner wants to do, but I don’t actually know. Interesting …
Hey Erin! Welcome to the Cardiogirl Empire, have a look around. Jeeves is ready to handle all of your requests.
That sounds familiar — that the dog is seen as a partner. That’s interesting about a stipend. I suppose that’s sort of like the dog’s salary paid in food and vet visits.
I just assumed when a human cop dies it’s still up to the family to cover the costs, but that law enforcement shows up for the pomp and circumstance.
I kind of assume the same thing, but then I think that since it’s a dangerous line of work maybe there’s something built into the insurance policy? Who pays for the funerals of soldiers killed in the line of duty, does the government/armed forces kick in for that at all? This is far more in-depth than what I typically ponder at 9 am (which is usually, “Do I want a blueberry muffin, or do I want to eat oatmeal again?).
Also, I have seen you comment on my blog before but didn’t realize till today that your blogger blog isn’t your real one, which is why I haven’t been here before :) And I buddied you on NaNoWriMo — I see you’re close to 50K, congrats! I hit 30K last night thanks to a 3-part dream sequence wherein I worked in the Traveling Shovel of Death, my first NaNo dare (which, if you haven’t read that particular thread on the forums over there, make absolutely no sense!).
For a soldier killed in the line of duty, the military provides a death benefit that goes to the next of kin to help cover funeral costs; the military will also provide “military honors” for veterans if the family requests it, including the rifle salute. Generally, the minimum is that a member of the Honor Guard will attend the interrment and fold up the flag that has been placed over the casket and present it to the next of kin (spouse, parent, or child). (Any member of the military can do this, however; my husband, who is an Army officer, did these honors at his grandfather’s funeral and presented the flag to his grandmother; it was very touching and meaningful. He also saluted the casket which made me cry.)
@Erin It is an interesting maze of questions that just lead to more twists and turns.
You bring up an interesting point about Blogger. Initially I started a blog over there because I wanted to be able to comment. And many times I just let that ID show up, but it directs people to the other blog that I don’t use. I need to put my link to this blog over there.
Always something to do…
And I have to quickly say that the chick who snatched Cardiogirl over there at blogger is not representing. At. All. I’m embarrassed to have my name attached to that. I know, it’s not my name.
It’s like when Vanessa Williams — the successful actress/singer/former Miss America — was forced to add her middle initial because another Vanessa Williams used the name first.
You may recall that the first VW was on Melrose Place and made a stink about her name. She’s still out there, but when you hear Vanessa Williams (whether she has to use Vanessa L. Williams or not) you think of the hugely successful VW. Not the one who bitched about registering the name first.)
I have not heard of the TSoD, but it sounds really interesting. especially if it can give you a three-part dream sequence. I’ll have to check that out immediately!
@Soonerchick Thanks for all of the detailed info. My peeps never fail to impress me. I really do feel like there’s always one or more peeps of mine who will be able to answer all of my questions.
That does sound very touching ceremony for your grandfather (in-law’s) funeral. He must have been in WWII, right?
Well, I don’t have ALL the answers (shocking, I know) but I have some of them. A police dog lives with it’s partner; I assume FBI dogs would follow the same guidelines. Dogs used in the military stay with their partners as well. Usually, the trainer or owner names the dog; the dogs (usually German Shepherds or Labs) go through rigorous training for several months (or years, depending on the type of training and how dense the dog turns out to be). Due to the nature of the dog’s work, their names are usually consistant with the type of name a man would give his dog, not the sort that a woman would name her dog; hence, there aren’t many Snookerdoodle’s out there in the police or military force. The dogs are trained on how to behave during stressful situations, so they don’t tend to have accidents on the job. And yes, the partner has to clean up when nature calls. The police dept/FBI/military unit covers the vet bills and costs of food, etc.
I don’t know much about the after-death part. There is usually some sort of memorial service and the dogs are usually memorialized in some way. I don’t know for certain, but I would dare to go out on a limb and assume that the dogs are somehow interred in a pet cemetery somewhere. No idea about the 21-gun salute. It is kind of startling though, I know; when my ex-husband’s grandfather was interred at Arlingtion Nat’l Cemetery, they did the whole ceremony with fanfare, including the riderless horse with backward boots in the stirrups (and if that doesn’t make you tear up, nothing will; it is one of the saddest things you’ll ever see), and the rifles did startle me, even though I was watching them and knew it was coming.
Wow, Soonerchick. Way to answer it all! I really want to get a police dog and name it Fifi, though.
I never did hear about the riderless horse and boots. That’s an intense image.
My experiences line up with the info Sooner gave. I knew of a lovely cadaver dog named Sunshine. He wasn’t the best cadaver dog, but a small county can only afford so much training. Sunshine was the department’s mascot almost, I bet all sorts of strange pet rituals occurred when that dog died. I actually have no idea if Sunshine is still with us, so I’ll keep going with the past tense. He could smell anything rotting, but you might have to dig up an old family cat first. Sunshine was a lab, the drug dogs at our school were always German Shepherds.
I like the 21 gun salute, but I guess I’ve been around gunshots all my life so it’s not a new noise to me. I’ve seen it done with 1, 3, and 7 riflemen. It’s a good sense of closure to the end of the service, for me.
Aren’t you from Detroit? I thought you’d be used to gunshots too. ;)
Ahh, into life a little Sunshine will fall. Although I do not want Sunshine sniffin’ around inside my house for obvious reasons.
Yes ma’am. I am from Doo-twah and surprisingly I am not used to gunshots. Now the wail of sirens from police cruisers, ambulances and fire trucks alike have become white noise to me.
Yes, if Sunshine was inside your house you’re probably in a whole heap of trouble.
Sirens are starting to become white noise for me also.
Oh, I forgot. I think I used some spam folder words. My bad.
Yes. Yes you did. But I’ll always fish you out. The bad words are okay as long as the person using them is okay. I got some bad juju buzzing around…
# Who does a police dog live with? Is it boarded in a kennel each night or does an officer take it home?
It’s in a kennel. Ex police dogs are often given to officers or other people trained in handling them.
# Do they give a police dog a serious name like Freedom, Liberty or Badger or can the dog’s name be Lucky, Rex or Mr. Tibbs?
I’m not sure about police dogs, but I know that drug dogs are given normal dog names like Fido and whatever.
# Does a dog get nervous during a shootout and does that nervousness make the dog want to squat and lay some serious cable? If so, who’s the lucky FBI Agent who gets to carry a plastic baggy for such a situation?
I should imagine that the dog is trained not to be gunshy. I can’t see the FBI signing on to clean up dog poop somehow.
# Does an FBI dog, when killed in the line of duty, get a special funeral? If so, does the dog get a 21-gun salute and an American flag folded in a triangle?
Probably not. I can’t see the FBI being emotional about such matters somehow. Perhaps the dogs handler gets to keep it or something?
# Where do they bury it? Do they bury it or is it cremated?
Probably cremated. It’s easier to deal with that way.
# Who pays for the funeral, if there is one?
I think the head of the FBI does.
(smiles wide)
Solomon you had me with the head of the FBI peelin’ off a wad of 20s.
Oh my word, by the time I got to the part about who has to pick up the poop the cop-dog leaves, I was laughing out loud. I had a visualization of the helicopter settling right in the middle of the highway and the looks of confusing from yielding motorists. Too funny.
Hey, btw Cardiogirl, I’m trying to build a Thanksgiving holiday tradition of a family run of our city’s Thx Day 5K. Last time we participated (2 years ago), it snowed during the race and all participants were duly annoyed. This year everyone’s in for running except the only real athlete in the family, my 15-year-old daughter Grace. Since she’s joined the world of blogging at my site, can you give any advice to her, one athlete to another, about running the 5K?
That’s why I’m here :) It’s crazy, though. An FBI helicopter just setting down in the middle of traffic. (shakes head)
Yeah, I’ll throw in my two cents. We’ll see if she accepts my pennies or tosses them aside.
Thank you sincerely, for both your humor and your advice. You’re like Michigan’s Oprah. Who’s athletic. And who writes rather than talks. You know what I mean…
“Lay some serious cable”
Freakin’ funniest line ever. I will have to work that into a coversation over the next couple of days.
And look at the big brain on Solomon. Are you just making that up Solomon or are they real answers?
That is a big brain, isn’t it Michelle? (Massive points for invoking my best bud Jules.)
Oh lucky dog, and yet ….
Yeah. Somethin’ like that.
I stumbled across this looking for something on Google and normally I don’t comment on blogs but I will answer some of your questions since I worked in law enforcement.
Every department does things a little differently for the most part they are the same.
This is how it is done in the county I live in.
The dog is purchased at about a year to a year and a half old. Dog and Handler attend a training academy so that the dog can be certified to work. This usually takes about six months. The first half is basic patrol training which includes obedience and bite work. The second half is the specialized training for bomb sniffing, narcotics detection, etc.
The dogs here stay with the handler which helps create a better bond overall. Due to this fact, when you apply for K9 one of the requirements is that you own your house and have a yard. The department pays for the kennel and fence to be put in your yard.
Most of everything the dog requires as far as food, toys, vet bills is paid for by the department. Pretty much nothing is out of pocket.
As far as cleaning up after the dog as a rule you only feed it once a day and that’s after the shift because you can’t have a dog chasing someone or working with a full stomach. Most of the time when nothing is going on you find a place to take your dog out to do its business so it won’t do it in the middle of a call. If you feed a dog the diet it’s supposed to eat they should only poop once a day. I’ve never seen a dog poop from being scared.
They are exposed to a lot in their training academy as far as sounds and yelling. To them it is like a game and they are out to get the high value reward at the end whether it’s their favorite toy or a favorite treat. It’s also part of the selection process to test them when they are young to see how they react to stress. Dogs can and do fail the academy and get adopted out when they don’t make the cut. Most of the dogs bought here cost about $4,000 starting off and they are usually imported from breeders who specialize in selecting the best.
You can name the dog whatever you want. Some of them come pre-named though.
The funeral for a dog is pretty much the same as one of the deputies. We had a K9 deputy and his dog both killed here back in 2005. They have head stones right next to each other. The color guard and thousands of other people including officers from other states showed up for the funeral. The cost of the cremation or funeral is usually covered by the department and donations from the community.
I hope that answered most of your questions. These dogs are very intelligent and most handlers decide to keep them at home after they’ve completed service and have to be retired. Back in the day they used to euthanize them after eight years of working. You won’t usually find a handler that will give their dog up, it’s like having another child. It’s preferred they go with the handler though due to the bond and skills it takes to handle the dog.
First let me welcome you to the Cardiogirl Empire, Taito. (Is that pronounced like Tay-tow, as in potato chip minus the po and the chip part?)
Talk about an informative answer. You have earned the Gold Star of the Day for all of this info. I have no background with dogs, as I am sure you can tell. I didn’t realize you could sort of control the output based on when the dog eats.
Are the dogs always German Shepherds? It seems like that’s the sort of dog I see on “Cops.”
That’s really wild that the dog was buried right next to the deputy, although I suppose they were partners. As I think about it, it seemed more strange that this funeral was just for the dog, not the dog with its deputy/owner.
Hey is the dog always a male or can the dog be a female?
So the dog’s work span is roughly eight years which means it would be around 9 or 10 years old when it retired, based on the fact the dog is acquired at a year or a year and a half old, eh? Thanks for so much detail, Taito, I appreciate that.