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A8-The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, February 28, 2006 www.kasuosloweishop.ca. 487 Laurier Are, 878-2881 Constable and new police dog make good team By Howard Mozel back. Sh'ECIAL lU THE CHAMPION Consi. Tort ILean bas been assigned as tIse K9 bandler for Baron for only four montbs isow, but sbe already knows ibat at the end of bis f ive lu seven-year terni as a Halton Regional Police dog shes goîng lu keep bin. Sucb is tbe relationsbip tbat's developed between Leans and tbe îwo-and-a-balf-year-old male German sbepberd. its up to us if WC v at to do that. but I'd keep bins. sbc saîd. know that already"- ILeau is no sîranger to tbaî level of certatnty, bavtng always wanied te becorne a police oflicer sînce sbe was a cbild. "Eacb day is neyer tbe saine tbing îwtcc," sbe said. Lean was employed as a records clerk wtb Halton poltce starîing i November 1997. Aftcr she bad saved enougb moncv to pay for corrective eve surgery tn order to qualify as a police officer, sbc fol- lowed lier dream and joîned Hamtlton poltce ttî Teptember 2000. She rernained tn Hamilton for 21 rnontbs util tbe opportuni- ty arose for ber to returu to Halton aîîd pursue ber carcer as an off icer. A dog lover stnce ber cbîldbood (today sbe also bas îwo cats). Leans number one prioîîty was to becorne a K9 officer so slîe voluin- teered ber off-dots' time as mucb as possible and assîsted tbe unit wbtle sbe was on duty Her goal was attaîned lasi October wben sbe was ofbictally bired as the sîxtb ever Halton Regional Police K9 bandiler "Its an arnazîng job," she said. 1I gel to bning my dog to work with me and bring birn bome." Baron was born and bred ai Lucescu Kennels in Fenwick, Ont. and cornes frorn a long lîne of police dogs. He began bis traintng as a general purpose police dog at I1 monîbs old and trained in the areas of agility trackîng, obedience, open area and building searcbes as well as article searebes. ILcan joîned Baron's training in Ociober. Sbe admiîîed tbat sitîce somne- une else paired tbern up it îook a good tbree rnonîbs lu finally cernent tbeir "interesting relation- sbip," but now tbere's no tumting 1 love him,- said Lecan, who stressed that Baron is still no pet and hives outside ber homue in a kennel. 1 he partners cornpletedi a tbree- month training course together and achieved their certification December 2. Baron and Lecan commenced their officiai partnership five days later and Baron apprebended bis lirst suspect December 9 - a youth tnvolved witb a siolen vebicle Who lied on foot. Thai was exciting, sbie added, sînce the incident proved aIl their bard work together bad paid off. On January 26, Halton Regional Police Services Board Cbatr Keîîb Bird sbook Barons paw and officiaI- ly swore bilm in as the laîest addî- lion to the Poltce Dog Services Unit - tbe seventb sncb police dog bîred in tbe bistory of the servtce. (F ortunately, no l-l.ltoni Regtonal Police dog bas been lost tn tIse fine of dutyl I odas' be sbaies dunes s tIi Hoitour and Kntz, along sviîb tbetr bandlers. Altbougb shifts are 10 lioors long, Leati satd tbat beîtîg a K9 offi- cer îs a 24/7 coîîîmttiîieît, from consiantly trattning (even on, davs off-) to fcedtrîg, cleaniîig Batotts ketînel aînc taktng cotre ol lits becaltît - tbsngs sbc wouildii bave io ssor-v about witlî a bornati partir. -l I xanîcd tis respoîîsiblîy,- sbe said. One key to Leans outlook is tIse faci she bas tbe opporîunity to belp) people tn ways regular police work doesn't offer. To that end, sbe clears up tbe popular rntsconcepîîon tbat police dogs onlv track, attack and bite bad guys wben in faci tbeir value is so mucb more. Case in point: Lean and Baron recenîly found a suicidai man before be could barmn bimself. She also explatned police dogs are ideal for finding lost cbîldren and wan- (lcring Alzbetimer-s discase suifer- ers. I wanted to be part of a utt that assîsîs people," sbc said. Witb acute beariîîg and a setîse of srnell tbousands of tîmes keener iban tbat of burnans, Baron is aIsEs a valuable extenston of Leans owîî senses and, the trutb bc told, a piece of ber beart as Weil. W7?COGECQ< Iuly Local 1bIevislon 10 www.cogeco.ca 50 tO0C NORTH HALTON STUDIO 8 oc Laurier Plaza90 500 Laurier Avenue Milton, ON L9T 4R3 905-878-9306 ._1 y .ii li.cy .vt il , .- CPm sRores zone Love 1 mCm Hallon Hill Courcil 12 0Cpm Sw3p CuIS (Reluay 1 0floe HX o-n Re- io B g ~oeo Cable Channel 14 - - - --..-----hedul -.--faJ, vu av àcUi ' UID d~îîrn ,£J Piugged tnl EXTRA5 Auto tEpei (Dive) Haube Hils Counci Fein 20 2006 6X3Cpm- XCCpm 8'iipm Teh CC 20OS Pl5ICeC e' EXTRA lThe 8ottoec [ine PlutgeC le' EXTRA Swap Talk (Live) Mitin comit 7 CCpm 9TCCpm 9:C11 Aito C nCC Si Plugtedle' EXTRA 6 CCpemMidCooX Plutted lu' EXTRA Xliii Rettio & nmciFe(bCO 8C l06a os Hockey Fina Piagied In! tXTRA E6CI 3 mMîidnt PACtged e' EXTRA CstCed nl EXTRA Miton Coueil Ceb 27 2006 PiStged ri EXTRA ipiXattiI LUne PlsOted In XXTRA Fait 7 2W6un& i A0 30m TCSpoTs HaXiCQ i 0Cmri AS Xoys Hockey Fiea E CCpei Miton Coueî,i A01 CC pm C CC0pm-M Ceîoei Pisooîo In EXTRA 9Cpl 00unMOeîgte ARIERKNE ICANADIAN CHAMPION TAG TEAM: Halton Regional Police Const. Tort Lean and German shepherd police dog Baron hav ls atesî as they track down criminals, but they also help people lost and in distress. MMý Iýf. ý,» 1