There is a new officer in town, and he has four legs and a tail.
The Gainesville Police welcomed its newest K-9 unit dog, Roo, on Wednesday afternoon after a $6,500 donation from The Pantry Inc. allowed the department to purchase a new police dog.
“It’s a very exciting time for the department,” said GPD Sgt. Brad Litchfield. “The patrol guys are looking forward to hitting the road and having additional backup out there.”
In February, The Pantry, a corporation that operates Kangaroo Express, held a week-long fundraiser at its Gainesville stores to raise money for a new dog in the GPD’s K-9 unit.
“We got a lot of support from the community as well as our team members,” said Wendy Norton, district sales manager for The Pantry.
The stores raised $5,285 from customers and employees while the company donated an additional $1,215, said Region Sales Director Kris Fisher.
On Wednesday, the company presented the department with a $6,500 check for the donation.
In early March, GPD purchased the 2-year-old German Shepard from Ventosa Kennels in North Carolina, and officer Jeff Kerkau has been Roo’s handler ever since.
Kerkau, 31, said for the first month, he trained Roo to be obedient and be comfortable in a police car. Later in the training, Roo learned suspect apprehension and tracking.
Kerkau said training dogs for the K-9 unit is a repetitive process.
“Everybody sees the finished product,” he said. “But it’s a lot of work.”
Kerkau and Roo’s friendship extends past working hours.
As Roo’s handler, Kerkau takes care of his four-legged partner at home.
“When I take him home and this leather collar off, he’s a dog,” Kerkau said. “He knows when it’s work time and when it’s relax time at home.”
Roo earned his state certification last Thursday to become a K-9 unit dog, an accomplishment for police dogs that complete a 400-hour, state-mandated training course.
Next month, Roo will hit the streets as an active patrol dog.
With 200 hours of additional training later this year, Roo will be dual certified to sniff out narcotics.
“Finding bad guys to him is a game,” Kerkau said.
Contact Chris Alcantara at calcantara@alligator.org.
K-9 Roo and handler, Officer Jeff Kerkau outside Gainesville Police Department Administration building
