When Leonard arrived at the Union County Humane Society in Ohio, the staff were concerned about his chances for adoption. Not only is he a Pit Bull-type dog, he also displayed “very high hunt, ball, and possessiveness drives.” Luckily, shelter director, Jim Alloway recognized Leonard’s potential. He has an extensive background with police dogs and saw that those very behaviors could make Leonard an ideal candidate for narcotics work!
Leonard is a dog that came to us about 7 months ago. He exhibited very high hunt, ball, and possessiveness drives; none…
Posted by Union County Humane Society on Friday, May 12, 2017
The shelter contacted Storm Dog K-9 Training, and although they had never worked with a Pibble before, they were intrigued. After initial testing, it became clear that Leonard had the skills needed for a bright future in police work.
Police officer Leonard, Ohio’s first pit bull K-9, is finishing training today, and will soon start detecting narcotics in Ottawa County, Ohio. (Clay Township)
Leonard’s story can be seen on nbc4 at 5:15 pm.Posted by Rick Reitzel on Friday, May 19, 2017
They began training him, using his strong play drive to their advantage. Leonard’s friends at Storm Dog K-9 Training say he is a great police dog because “he’s constantly wanting to work.” All he asks in return is a play session as a reward!
Clay Township Police Chief Terry Mitchell with narcotics detection K-9 officer Leonard.
Leonard is the first K9 pitbull in Ohio history. He was rescued from death row.
#K9Cop #HeroPibblePosted by Pibble Life on Friday, May 19, 2017
Now that Leonard has completed his training, he has been paired with Terry Mitchell, the Chief of Police in Clay Township near Toledo. Mitchell admits he was nervous about working with a Pit Bull, but found that he and Leonard bonded immediately.
“I scheduled a time to come down and see him, and after about 10 minutes, I knew this was the dog for us,” Mitchell told ABC6.
Leonard passed his certification on Tuesday, May 16 and officially became the first Police K9 Pit Bull in Ohio!
Leonard is more than just Chief Mitchell’s partner, he is also the newest member of his family! A joyful Facebook post from the Union County Humane Society reads in part:
“Leonard promises to make a great police dog as well as loving family companion. He already knows when his vest goes on – it’s time to work. He also may have found some favorite spots on the couch to relax.”
Congratulations, Leonard! We know you will make Ohio proud!
H/T to ABC6
Featured Image via Facebook/Pibble Life
