May 14, 2009 6:33 pm US/Central
Chicago Cops Search For Missing Police Dog
Bear The German Shepherd Jumped A Fence Overnight
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
-
-
Bear the Chicago Police Dog jumped a fence during a thunderstorm Wednesday night and escaped.
Chicago Police
Chicago Police Detective Richard King was watching the weather Wednesday night, waiting for a calm stretch so he could take his police dog, Bear, outside.
"This dog is petrified of thunder," King said Thursday. "I've never seen a dog like this."
When the storm quieted, King accompanied Bear, "whining and pacing," out to the back yard of his Souhwest Side home to eat and relieve himself around 10:30 p.m.
"He takes one bite, hears rolling thunder — not a bang, crash, boom — and he runs over into a corner of the yard," King said. "I'm calling. He's not coming."
Then, Bear took off, jumping a five-foot fence and running east.
Chicago police, including King, spent the night and this morning searching for the 3-year-old, 74-pound, black-and-tan German shepherd. King's neighbors in Mt. Greenwood are keeping their eyes open, too.
"It's terrible. He's got to be around here somewhere," neighbor Bill Curta said. "He'll turn up, I hope."
Bear is a newer member of the Chicago Police Department's canine unit. He is the third canine officer who has lived and worked with King. Dogs that serve and protect get extensive training. They work with the officers they're paired with, and they're pets with them off the job.
"He was with me all the time, so he's even more bonded to me," handler Rick King said. "He's my partner."
Bear lives with King in the 3800 block of West 109th Street.
King has another dog, too — Deny, a retired police dog. But the two dogs don't get along well, he said, maybe because of jealousy on Deny's part that Bear gets to spend his days working while Deny stays at home.
Chicago police dogs live with their handlers. The typical police dog costs more than $5,000, according to the department's Web site, and must undergo 12 to 16 weeks of training with their human handler at the Chicago Police Department Canine Training Center in Des Plaines. The dogs usually work for a decade before retirement.
King, who got one hour of sleep overnight, will keep looking for Bear until he's back home, and alongside him at work.
"I've been in K-9 22 years, I've had three dogs and literally, they have saved my life," he said. "They mean a lot."
If anyone sees Bear, they are asked to call the police at (312) 746-7180.
CBS 2's Kristyn Hartman and the STNG Wire contributed to this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Jewish Celebrities
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
