It's a Dog's Life
The Alameda Police Department in California is proud to have Kenzie on the force. He's a real-life super hero.Kenzie is not an ordinery police officer, though. He is a Police Service Dog in the canine unit.
As one of Alameda's K9s, Kenzie is a fully-trained police dog. He works under cover of darkness, using his powers of smell, hearing and night vision to track down criminals. He's a handsome German shepherd with dark tan fur and black markings on his head and neck. His handler, Patrick, tells us about a day in the life of a K9.
"Kenzie and I work the night shift," says Patrick. "Our working day stars at 5:00pm and ends at 3:00am. Kenzie sleeps in the same room as me because I like to know that he's sleeping and not playing! We get up at about midday and have our breakfast. Kenzie always has high-quality dry dog food and water. After breakfast, Kenzie has time to play with my other dog - another German shepherd- and enjoy his time off.
Before we go to work, Kenzie and I spend some time training. There is a lot of training and testing involved in being a K9, but Kenzie loves his work, so he doesn't mind. At 4:00pm, we leave the house and drive to the police station. Kenzie sits in the back of the car, which is actually a mini kennel. He waits in the car while I prepare for work, and then we hit the streets.
Kenzie is on patrol for ten hours. He knows that this is not a time for playing or sleeping so he remains alert at all times. Above all, his job is to protect me, but on specialised assignments he searches for criminals and looks for evidence, and he does all this very well. Kenzie's a real professional! He has a lot of experience in sniffing out criminals and is a great help in difficult situations. Kenzie even saved my life once when he stopped an armed suspect from attacking me. He's not only my hero but his work is of great benefit to me and to the police force in general.
When our shift is over, Kenzie end I return to the station, then we go home. Kenzie has his second meal at about 4:00am and after that we go straight to bed. We have the same routine every day , which is good. Like all dogs, Kenzie loves routine.
On our days off, Kenzie and I often travel together or do some training. We enjoy spending time together. Being a K9 handler requires a lot of commitment, but it's well worth it. I thing of Kenzie as my friend as well as my partner, and I'm sure he feels the same way about me."
