In Loving Memory of
 K-9 FLIP
November 18, 2006
 
Handler: Officer Bryon Deeter
Findlay Police Department
Mncpl Bldg Rm 207
Findlay, Ohio 45840 
 (419)424-7194 
Findlay police dog killed   Officers mourn loss of Flip, who was shot to death
Findlay Police Officer Byron Deeter is shown with Flip, who joined the police force in 2003. The dog, who lived with Officer Deeter when off-duty, was shot to death Saturday by a Jackson Township man onto whose property the dog had wandered. Police are investigating. A memorial service for Flip is planned for Nov. 30 at Central Middle School. Police here are mourning the loss of one of their own. Flip, a police dog on the force since 2003, was shot to death Saturday by' a Jackson Township man onto whose property the dog had wandered. The man told investigators the dog was not aggressive but continued to walk toward him after he yelled at the dog to get away. "He was pretty special," police Chief Bill Spraw said of Flip, a 5-year-old Belgian Malinois."He just wasn't your typical what you'd think of as a K-9. You could pet him and feel comfortable with him. He hung out with the other officers between calls. … He was a K-9 dog when he needed to be. Then he was a dog when he didn't have to be." Flip lived with his "partner," Officer Bryon Deeter, and was like a family pet when he was off duty, the chief said. According to the Hancock County Sheriff's Office, which is investigating the shooting, a member of Officer Deeter's family let Flip outside shortly before 2:30 p.m. Saturday but apparently forgot to let him back into the house, and the family left to go to a relative's house. Hancock County sheriff's Capt. Roger Treece said Flip walked to a neighbor's house where the man who ultimately shot Flip pulled into his drive-way with his 2 1/2-year-old son in the car. He told police the dog came up to the car and he shut the car door, almost catching the dog's nose in it.  Findlay police would not identify the man, who has not been charged.  The dog eventually walked to the front yard. That's when the man went in to get his shotgun. When he came out, Captain Treece said, he yelled at the dog, who was now in the backyard, and the dog came toward him. The dog was "not charging or being aggressive or growling," the captain said. "The guy yells at him to get away, the dog keeps coming, and he shoots him. The reason, he said, is he was fearful for his 2 1/2-year-old son."  A necropsy was conducted yesterday on Flip, and agents with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation are processing evidence from the shooting, Captain Treece said. "Flip is considered a police officer and it's under investigation," he said,adding that the man could be cited under a section of Ohio law that prohibits assaulting or harassing a police dog or horse or an assistance dog.  According to that law, a person cannot cause or attempt physical harm to such an animal while it is assisting a law enforcement officer. Or, even if the police dog or horse is not assisting an officer at the time, a person can be charged under that law if the person knows that it is a police animal. The man believed to have shot the dog contacted Findlay police a short while after the incident after talking with another neighbor and learning that Flip was a police dog. Captain Treece said the man claimed not to know the dog worked for the police department.The case will be turned over to the Hancock County Prosecutor's Office for possible criminal charges.  Chief Spraw did not want to say whether the man should be prosecuted. "I'm reserving judgment and waiting on the completion of the investigation," he said. "If the guy that shot him was negligent and violated the law, then, yeah. If they find out otherwise that there isn't enough to prosecute, I guess we'll have to accept that." A dog running loose on the property of another is also breaking the law, according to a section of the Ohio Revised Code on dog confinement. Dogs need to be physically confined to their property or under reasonable control of some person. The owner, keeper, or harborer of the dog can be charged with violating that law if they let the dog run at large, 
the law states. When asked if Officer Deeter was negligent in any way, Chief Spraw said no. The law also states that a property owner has the right to shoot a dog when it threatens harm to the property owner, other people, or livestock. But under the trespassing animals law, the property owner who harms an animal for trespassing is expected to deposit money with the nearest court system within 15 days for damages done to the animal. Captain Treece said if people find themselves in a situation where they are threatened by an animal on their property, they should call the sheriff's office or the dog warden, and not try deal with the situation themselves. Police have scheduled a memorial service for 10 a.m. Nov. 30 at Central Middle School, where students have routinely raised money to buy equipment and food for Flip.  Officer Deeter was given a "loaner" police dog Sunday, just a day after losing Flip, Chief Spraw said. "That was Bryon's choice," he said. "Whether we keep a dog, we'll have to decide. ... It's not a cheap endeavor." Officials estimate the city had about $15,000 invested in Flip, including training and equipment.  Contact Jennifer Feehan at: cheycock@readingtonpolice.org or 419-353-5972. 
Hancock County man indicted for shooting police dog
12/21/06     Ohio - And.... MORE
 A Jackson Township man who shot and killed a Findlay police dog that had strayed onto his property has been 
indicted on two charges by a Hancock County grand jury.  Steven E. Vanderhoff, 41, was indicted for assaulting a police dog, a third-degree felony, and cruelty to animals, a second-degree misdemeanor, court records show. The indictment alleges that Mr. Vanderhoff "had actual knowledge" that the dog, named Flip, was a police dog when he shot him. Flip, a 5-year-old Belgian Malinois, was killed Nov. 18 while off-duty. He had been let out of his handler, Officer Bryon Deeter's house, and the Deeters family left without letting Flip back inside. He wandered down the road, eventually coming to Mr. Vanderhoff's house.  Mr. Vanderhoff claimed he was fearful of the dog and for his 2.5-year-old son who was in the car when he fired a shot at the dog. He is to be arraigned Wednesday in Hancock County Common Pleas Court

UPDATE:  2009  Big Ben is donating $ to every city that the Steelers play in 2009
Big Ben to buy police dog CNN - 5 hours ago
Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will help his hometown replace a police dog shot and killed when
it wandered away from its ...  Steelers QB to replace hometown police dog Tampa Bay's 10 Big Ben
Buys Police Dog WSBtv.com Steelers QB to replace hometown police dog KVIA Pittsburgh Channel.com -
Toledo Blade all 96 news articles
follow up:  Plea deal expected for man who killed Findlay police dog 7/14/07
Flip, a Belgian Malinois, was killed when he wandered into a neighbor's yard.
Eight months after Findlay's police dog Flip was shot to death after wandering onto a neighbor's property, the man who admits he killed the dog is expected to enter into a plea agreement in Hancock County Common Pleas Court. Steven E. Vanderhoff, 41, was scheduled to go on trial Monday, but yesterday the trial was canceled and his case was set for a change-of-plea hearing, according to a court spokesman. No details of the plea agreement were available yesterday. Mr. Vanderhoff was indicted in December by a Hancock County grand jury for cruelty to animals, a misdemeanor, and assaulting a police dog, a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $7,500 fine. He told investigators he was defending himself and his young son Nov. 18 when he shot the dog as it came toward him on his Jackson Township property. The felony charge would have required prosecutors to prove Mr. Vanderhoff knew Flip was a police dog when he shot him - something Mr. Vanderhoff claimed he did not know. Jon Paul Rion, a Dayton attorney representing Mr. Vanderhoff, could not be reached for comment yesterday, but said Thursday that his client maintained his innocence. "Obviously, Steven was very concerned for his safety and took the action he did," Mr. Rion said. "He loves animals. He loves dogs," he said. "He felt he was in danger and, more importantly, he felt his son was in danger." County Prosecutor Mark Miller could not be reached for comment about a plea agreement. According to the sheriff's office, the son of Flip's handler, Findlay police Officer Bryon Deeter, let Flip out of the house that afternoon but forgot to let him back in before the family went to a relative's house. The dog wandered about a quarter-mile to Mr. Vanderhoff's property and walked up to Mr. Vanderhoff's vehicle when he pulled into the driveway. Mr. Vanderhoff told deputies he tried repeatedly to get the dog to go away, then went into his house to get a shotgun. He said that when he came out, the dog came toward him , so he shot him. Flip, a 5-year-old Belgian Malinois, had worked with Officer Deeter since 2003 and was trained to sniff out drugs and track down criminal suspects and missing persons. After the dog's death, Officer Deeter began working with a new dog named Spike, which was purchased with funds donated by Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback and Findlay native Ben Roethlisberger. After Flip was killed, the officer was not disciplined by the city or charged with allowing the dog to run loose.
******** update:
Shooter of police dog enters plea in Hancock County
A Hancock County man who admitted he shot and killed a Findlay police dog pleaded no contest this morning to an amended charge of criminal damaging, a misdemeanor. Steven Vanderhoff, 41, of rural Findlay, had been scheduled to go on trial today in Hancock County Common Pleas Court on charges of cruelty to animals and assaulting a police dog. After he pleaded no contest to the lesser charge, Judge Reginald Routson gave him a suspended 90-day jail sentence. Mr. Vanderhoff made a $250 donation to the Humane Society of Hancock County, which Judge Routson approved in lieu of a fine. Mr. Vanderhoff was indicted in December by a Hancock County grand jury for cruelty to animals, a misdemeanor, and assaulting a police dog, a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $7,500 fine. He told investigators he was defending himself and his young son Nov. 18 when he shot the dog, Flip, as it came toward him on his Jackson Township property. To have proven the felony charge, prosecutors would have had to show that Mr. Vanderhoff knew Flip was a police dog when he shot him, something he denied.

In Loving Memory of K-9 FRANKO June 20, 2006 Handler: Deputy Tedd Betts Snohomish County Sheriff's Office 3000 Rockefeller Ave.  Everett, WA 98201 425-388-3411 or 1-800-562-4367 I met K-9 Franko in June 1997, after he emigrated from Czechoslovakia. Back then I was a deputy sheriff with the Lewis County Sheriff's Office in Washington State. For over 6 years we trained, worked, played and lived as a team, until he retired and spent his retirement in comfort with my wife, Sheila, our children and me. K-9 Franko was a truly dedicated working dog and he loved his job. His 95+ pounds served him well in the rugged terrain where we worked and against hostile suspects. He was courageous and never backed away from any duty, successfully tracking "bad guys" in the worst of conditions: swamps, mountains, snow, rivers & lakes and the thickest undergrowth Washington State has to offer. K-9 Franko trained with me on the S.E.R.T. team and proved to be a valuable asset there as well. As a team, we were awarded the Red Cross Real Heroes Award twice; once for successfully tracking a woman who slit her wrists and fled her rural residence; and again for tracking and apprehending a suspect who beat a man with a tire iron and then fled into a swamp. K-9 Franko loved people and demonstrations for kindergarteners and the elderly in nursing homes were happy times for us. It was truly amazing to see how courageous he was while apprehending a violent suspect; yet how loving and steady he was with the public. K-9 Franko assisted many different agencies and his tracking ability was well known in the area.  K-9 Franko passed away on June 20th, 2006 after battling a spleen tumor that caused internal bleeding. He was almost 11 years old. Sheila and I were blessed to have spent the last few minutes with him at home. We don't regret anything and are comforted that he knew he was home with family before he left. Even in his retirement he was our "child" and our protector. He was even more to me. Franko, you were my partner and my buddy. We had conversations where I did all the talking, but you were always there to listen and love me — regardless of what I said or how I said it. Our times together have given me life-long memories that only you and I share. I will miss you but I promise to keep you alive in my heart. I won't forget…Thank you to Adlerhorst International for our initial training, which held us in good stead. Thanks also to the Timberland Valley Dog Fanciers, who donated the money to purchase K-9 Franko. Thank you to Sergeant Fred Wetzel, who spent so many hours quarrying for me and then being my back-up on many successful tracks. And a special thank you to Sgt. Patrick Smith, my sergeant, my mentor and my good friend. Your teaching, guidance, "butt-chewing" and friendship were responsible for our success. I'm forever grateful.   submitted by: Renee' Konias In Loving Memory of K-9 FONSKE July 14, 2006 Handler: Officer Jeff Dunscomb West Lafayette Police Department 711 West Navajo St West Lafayette, IN 47906  - 765.775.5200  A two-year partnership between a West Lafayette police officer and his trusted canine ended Friday when the dog turned on his handler during a bank robbery investigation. Fonske, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois trained to track suspects and detect narcotics, was shot by the Tippecanoe County sheriff when the dog attacked Officer Jeff Dunscomb for no apparent reason. The pair responded to assist the Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Department after a knife-wielding man robbed Farmers State Bank in Battle Ground just after 5 p.m., sheriff's Maj. Tracy Brown said. The suspect fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash from the bank at 104 S. Railroad St. "It's a very sad thing ... and we appreciate West Lafayette's effort to come out and help us," Sheriff Smokey Anderson said. "Nobody wants to destroy a dog, certainly a police dog. But on the other hand we don't want to have any officer getting hurt, including the handler." According to witness Phillip Brewer, Dunscomb was putting a harness on Fonske, near the dog's face, when the dog bit the officer Friday. The dog was calm until that point, he said. ""His hand was shaking around like a rag doll," Brewer said of Dunscomb. "Shook his whole body. His whole head was bobbling around like a rag doll. ... Drug him around to the other side of the car." Dunscomb was treated at St. Elizabeth Medical Center for injuries to both his hands and was later released, West Lafayette police Capt. Mike Francis said. Anderson said he was going to follow Dunscomb as they tracked the robbery suspect, which is customary when a suspect is armed. Both had arrived about the same time. As the sheriff was putting on his body armor and grabbing a rifle, he heard Dunscomb scream. At first, Anderson said he thought it was Dunscomb directing the dog. He then saw Fonske biting into Dunscomb's right hand as Dunscomb tried to shake off the dog, and Dunscomb hollered for him to shoot the dog,Anderson said. He said he fired several rounds at Fonske, allowing Dunscomb to back away. The fatal shot came as Fonske walked toward Anderson and Dunscomb. Both Brewer -- who offered police a blanket to cover Fonske's body -- and Anderson said that nothing appeared to have angered the dog before it attacked. "It was hard to see the dog get shot, but they did what they had to do," said Brewer, who works at C & C Cycle on Railroad Street, near the bank. Fonske lived with Dunscomb at his West Lafayette home. Last year, the pair went on more than 300 runs -- including homicides, bank robberies and drug investigations, Dunscomb told the Journal & Courier in December. submitted by:  Jim Cortina