Tualatin Police Department’s K-9 team recently grew by one exuberant young German Shepherd, and, like each of his furry colleagues, the new pooch brings a unique specialty to the pack.
Boone, one of three Tualatin Police dogs, is trained to sniff out human scents.
He’s been on the beat since early March with partner/handler Officer Eli Fults, who trained with the 2-year-old pup throughout the Fall to earn an Oregon Police Canine Association Patrol Dog Team certification.
“His main function is detecting human odor,” Fults said. “That can be in a variety of ways.”
Boone can alert officers to a person hiding nearby, track the scent of a suspect who’s fled or a missing person, and pick up human smells left behind on objects, among other skills.
“We’re out on the road, and we’ll respond when there’s a need for a K-9, but otherwise, we’re just doing normal patrol stuff together,” said Fults, who characterized his role as “trying to keep up with Boone.”
The pair work regular patrol shifts, remaining at the ready for cases in Tualatin and beyond. They’re part of a county-wide law enforcement co-op of sorts that lets departments tap any available dog when they need a K-9.
“Several agencies around have dogs,” Tualatin Police Chief Greg Pickering said. “Eli is on a county-wide paging system. If there’s not another dog in another jurisdiction working, Eli would move around to not only Washington County but, some of Clackamas County to assist with dog work. It’s truly a regional asset for us.”
The Slovakian-born pooch, whose name is a nod to Boone’s Ferry Road, was purchased for about $12,500 last August from a California kennel that specializes in placing working dogs. That cost, and most of his other expenses, are largely funded by donations.
Boone also lives with Fults, his wife, and their children, where he will remain throughout his career and after his eventual retirement.
He and Fults logged 360 hours with Gresham Police Department trainer Shawn Debler and several other new human/K-9 teams to ready them for their duties. The pair will continue honing skills with 16 hours of monthly ongoing education classes throughout Boone’s career.
“He loves to work and search,” Fults said, adding that playing tug with a burly toy he likes to carry is Boone’s favorite activity. “Whatever we happen to be doing, he’s just 110 percent into it.”
Debler helped select Boone from the kennel, according to Fults. Though Boone was mostly green – meaning he lacked even basic command skills – Debler chose Boone based on his lineage, genetics, and temperament.
Boone and the other Tualatin Police dogs are truly a community effort.
Harvey and Sandy Platt covered most of Boone’s purchase price, according to Fults.
“Along with lots of other philanthropic endeavors, they have purchased multiple K-9s over the years for various departments,” he said. “They have been key supporters in the foundation of this program.”
Tualatin Animal Clinic provides no-cost vet care, and Wilco Farm Store in Lake Grove donates food. Tualatin Community Police Foundation helps to provide gear and accessories, partially with proceeds from the sale of their plush toy likenesses.
Each dog plays a unique role. Boone is primarily a furry location device, while his German Shepherd packmate Tony is a dedicated drug-sniffing dog and Black Lab Onyx is a comfort dog that stays at the station.
Like Tony and Onyx, Boone now has his own stuffy soon-to-be available on the Tualatin Community Police Foundation website. (www.tucpf.org).
While Boone takes his work seriously, he showed City Council members his silly side during a February meeting he attended with Fults and Pickering to mark the beginning of his working tenure.
Boone came into the room, tail wagging, and immediately tried climbing onto a table, garnering a laugh from the room. That happy disposition is no coincidence. Personality was part of the selection process.
“We wanted to make sure we had a dog that was community friendly,” Fults said. “He does have an on-and-off switch, which is pretty impressive for these dogs. When it’s time to go to work (he’s ready) but other times he’s a dog you can pet.”
