Havoc, Seymour’s 8‑year-old police dog, can unlatch the door of a Seymour police cruiser and climb into the back seat on command.
He can sniff marijuana from a closed school locker and track suspects with a whiff of his snout.
Then there’s Havoc’s replacement — an unnamed, 16-month old German Shepherd who can hardly sit still.
At a press conference Wednesday, the new police dog focused most of his attention on a large, stuffed German Shepherd doll — whimpering and pulling on his leash, trying to sniff it out. (Click play on the video.)
But you can help.
Seymour police are seeking donations to help turn the new dog into a genuine crime fighter.
All donations — starting with $1,000 from People’s United Bank — will go to the K‑9 fund to help pay for everything from dog food to state police training for the dog and his human partner, Officer Don Scheithe.
When the “intense” training is over, the dog will be used on patrols, to help located suspects, for crowd control, evidence collection and possibly eventually narcotics detection.
People’s Bank will collect donations at its branch at the Seymour Stop & Shop.
The bank is also hosting a contest for residents to help pick the dog’s name.
Buddy
That’s his name — for now.
Scheithe will read submissions and pick the winner to decide the dog’s new name.
The person who submits the winning name will receive a $100 savings bond — and the stuffed dog ‘Buddy’ took a liking to Wednesday.
Scheithe said he is looking for a name with a strong sound to it, preferably two syllables long.
The dog was raised in the Netherlands and the Seymour Police Department purchased Buddy from North American K‑9 in Middletown.
“We knew right away he was the one,” Scheithe said.
‘Buddy’ is all black and filled with energy.
“My new dog and I are going to grow together and learn together,” Scheithe said.
The Costs
The department has about $1,500 a year budgeted for the K‑9 unit, according to Lt. Paul Satkowski.
This year, the budget includes enough money to also pay $6,500 to buy the dog.
The annual budget is stretched thin, Satkowski said, so the department seeks donations.
It’s especially important for a new dog, which requires several weeks of training before it can start on the job and has other up-front costs associated with it. The department eventually hopes to purchase a bullet-proof vest for the dog with donations too.
“When you’re stretched very thin, we make it work because we have to,” Satkowski said.
Advice
With Havoc reaching retirement age (8), the department decided to start the process getting its next dog trained.
Traditionally, the Seymour Police Department has each K‑9 officer only handle one dog. They train together and the dog lives at the officer’s home.
Havoc’s handler is Officer Todd Romangna, who has been the K‑9 officer since 2003.
“The best advice I’ll give him is you’ve got to learn to trust your dog,” said Scott Nihill, another former K‑9 officer for the department. “A couple of mistakes I’ve made were trying to out-think the dog.”
Scheithe said he’s ready for the job — and he has always dreamed of being a K‑9 officer.
“It’s been a lifelong dream of mine,” Scheithe said. “I’m committeed to being the best K‑9 officer I can be.”
