Meet the K9s
Ofc. Sholtis and K9 “Sam”
Ofc. Sholtis has been a police officer with Glendale PD for over seven years after graduating from the Rio Hondo police academy in 2000. During his tenure, he has been a field training officer (FTO) and an operator on the department’s SWAT team. As an FTO, Ofc. Sholtis trained several new officers who had completed their academy training but needed “real life” exposure as a street cop. Part of his responsibilities as an FTO was to teach new officers city geography, tactics, report writing, court testimony, and the department’s policy and procedure. As a SWAT team member, Ofc. Sholtis enjoyed the excitement of specialized training for situations such as active shooters, barricaded suspects, and hostage rescue. He also received extensive firearms and tactics training and participated in the service of high-risk warrants.
Ofc. Sholtis was accepted to the position of K9 handler in September of 2005. After he and his K9 partner, “Sam”, attended basic K9 patrol school, they attended another four week class in May 2006 for explosive detection. Sam not only can find and apprehend hidden or fleeing suspects, he is certified to detect fourteen odors of materials that are most commonly used in explosive devices. Sam is also trained for hard surface tracking. Sam regularly competes in police and sheriff K-9 competitions throughout the year. Most recently, Sam competed in Las Vegas. Sam has won numerous awards in obedience, agility, suspect searches and apprehension, and explosive detection. Sam enjoys meeting the members of the Glendale community, especially children and people with disabilities. He has performed hundreds of demonstrations for local groups, schools, and special events. He is best known for his unique “howl” when it’s time to work. His most embarrassing moment was when he was skunked during a search. It took several months for the smell to finally go away.
Soft-Hearted Vet repairs Damage from Hardened Criminals
Like any police officer, police K-9s have a very physically demanding job and run the risk of injury from performing the duties required of them. It was recently noticed that my K-9 partner, Sam, had two cracked teeth which were causing deterioration at the roots. Although Sam, being a tough and dedicated police dog, tried hard to ignore the pain and fight through it, I noticed that something was bothering him. Our training team veterinarian, Dr. Ron Dalzell, made the original diagnosis, but dental x-rays were required to see the extent of the damage and what options for treatment were best suitable. Simple x-rays for dogs are not so simple. Dogs need to be anesthetized for the x-rays to be taken. This procedure alone could cost approximately $300, which does not include any treatment. Tooth extractions run an additional $400-$500. If money wasn’t an issue, the problem would have been easily dealt with. However, as many people don’t know, the Glendale Police K-9 Unit is funded solely through generous donations from the public. A rather simple procedure like a tooth extraction can actually put a very large dent into the K-9 fund, which is mainly used for maintenance costs including food, health maintenance supplies (flea/tick treatments, heartworm medication, etc.), and training.
Dr. Dalzell, who is now retired, has developed many contacts with vet colleagues through his many years as a veterinarian in the Ventura area. He called Dr. Christopher Frier with the Camino Animal Clinic in Thousand Oaks, CA, regarding Sam’s teeth. Dr. Frier graciously invited me to bring Sam to his vet clinic in order to better assess his injuries. With the assistance of the vet hygienist, Susan, Dr. Frier anestetized Sam, examined his mouth, took dental x-rays, found, removed, and tested a small tumor from his gumline, extracted a cracked molar and front tooth, conducted a complete teeth cleaning, and prescribed pain medication and antibiotics for a pain-free and healthy recovery. This was obviously above and beyond the kind of treatment that I could only wish for my partner. The invoice totaled approximately $1,500, however the balance showed zero. When I asked Dr. Frier about the zero balance, he simply said that he enjoys doing this work for such a good cause. He appreciates the work that we do and understands that many K-9 units are donation-based programs. This was his way for supporting our program.
The Glendale Police Department K-9 Unit would like to recognize Dr. Christopher Friar and the Camino Animal Clinic staff for their generosity and their friendly, professional service. We would also like to recognize Dr. Ron Dalzell for his dedication to our K-9 unit and his efforts in organizing this procedure. Our K-9 unit, the Glendale Police Department, the City of Glendale, and the citizens whom we serve owe you our sincerest gratitude.