First there was the dog, now there is the name — and it’s Raider.
In a few weeks Seymour Police K‑9 Officer Donald Scheithe will depart for the State Police Academy’s K‑9 Training Unit, where for 16 weeks he and his black German Shepard will learn the ins and outs of canine police work.
But until Wednesday, Raider was nameless, awaiting the results of the contest sponsored by People’s Bank to name the department’s new canine officer.
As a prize for the winning moniker, the bank offered a $1,000 savings bond and a life-sized stuffed German Shepard. more than 2,000 entries were received, according to Colleen Bike of People’s Bank, and from as far away as Hawaii.
But the winning entry came from closer to home. Both John Roy of Milford and Jesse Frazier of Seymour suggested Raider, Bike said, but because Jesse’s father is a Seymour police officer, he was ineligible to win.
So the prize when to Roy, who works at Stop and Shop in Seymour. He is not related to First Selectman Paul Roy.
John Roy was not able to be at Wednesday’s announcement, police spokesman Lt. Paul Satkowski said, but told him that he was inspired to suggest the name after a German Shepard he owned named Raider.
“He was very excited to hear he won the contest,” Satkowski said, “and he was disappointed he couldn’t be here.”
Scheithe said he personally chose the winning name. He was looking for a strong, two-syllable name, he said, and Raider fit the bill.
“There were some others I liked,” he said, such as Zeus, and there were others that just didn’t fit, such as Fluffy and the one he found funniest, Donuts.
The goal of the contest was to raise $4,000 to go toward Raider’s care, Bike said, but in the end the total raised topped $5,000.
That amount included the $1,000 the bank chipped in to start the effort, and $225 that three local youths — Dana Sheppard, Amanda Estwan and Jessica Martovich — raised going door-to-door soliciting donations, Bike said.
Video above shot in June shows Havoc, Seymour’s old police dog, in action — and footage of the new pup, then referred to as ‘Buddy.’
“Although one disgruntled woman called the Seymour police on the girls, they still brought $225 to the bank,” she said, which the bank then matched.
Now the hard work begins for Scheithe and Raider. Scheithe said he has lost 40 pounds in the past several months working out in preparation for the upcoming training, which police Chief Michael Metzler said can be grueling.
By January, Raider will be ready to being patrolling with him, Scheithe said. But until training starts the first week of October, Raider will continue to enjoy the luxury of being just a pet.
“Basically it’s been just a bonding period,” he said. “For the last few months, he’s just been being a dog.”
