Meet Eddy, Airus and Uvo—North Hills' Drug-Bustin', Kid-Lovin' Police Dogs

West View police officer Joe Connolly's partner-against-crime is reliable, resilient and has the officer's back. And he also loves chew toys and balls.

At 70-some pounds, Eddy, a German Shepherd who just turned four this February, is the only police dog on the force. He accompanies Connolly on drug busts, missing-persons calls and even on visits to local schools to meet-and-great with children.

Eddy is under the care of on Siebert Road, which takes care of his needs at half the cost. Natural Balance provides Eddy with its brand of food too. 

An anonymous dog lover donated $12,000 last year for whatever the K-9 unit needed, now or in the future, for Eddy. Ross Township also received a $12,000 gift last year from the same donor, as well as an additional $5,000 left through a will to be spent toward its K-9 needs. The K-9 unit includes Airus and Uvo, the second set of dogs to work in it since its start in 1995. 

Airus is about 10 years old and came to the township in 2003. He'll reach mandatory retirement at the end of 2012, said his handler, Ross Sgt. Matt Grubb. Uvo is about 9 years old and came to the township in 2005. Ross Township's dogs are also treated at Northview Veterinary Hospital, and food is donated by . 

The township budgets about $2,500 for their care and training, but the amount is supplemented with the donations, which typically come in smaller amounts, ranging from $10 to $100. 

"People love the dogs," Grubb said. 

Despite a minor health concern, Eddy, the youngest police dog serving the area, is a model police dog, Connolly said. In addition to making more than 70 drug busts, Eddy has rescued two people, including a 4-year-old girl who was missing and a 90-year old male Alzheimer patient who wandered off and was feared dead. 

The elderly man went missing on a single-digit winter day. Eddy sniffed the man's pillow and took off into the woods. He found the man 30 yards away in the woods, incoherent and freezing.

“He probably would have died that night. Kudos to Eddie. He saved that guy's life," said Connolly, who has 14 years with the force. 

Eddy really loves kids too, and the affection is mutual, Connolly said. Anytime the officer has an opportunity to use Eddy for a school demonstration, he jumps at the chance. 

"The interaction between Eddy and kids is great," he said. “We don’t train the dog to be social. Eddy is just very good with people." 

At home, he's completely different, a family dog to Connolly's 8- and 6 year-old sons. Connolly uses the same techniques at home with Eddy that he uses to find drugs and people: search, sniff and track. They've made a game of it in which Eddy "finds" Connolly's sons in the woods. All of his rewards are toys, so when he has located a key object or person, he gets his reward.

“They’re not doing it because they want to take drugs off of the street. They don’t know what that is. He just wants to play with his toys," Connolly said. 

But when it's time to head to work, Eddy is ready to go, sitting by the door in his uniform. 

There are a lot of things that K-9 units don't get paid to do, Connolly said, such as bringing Eddie to community events, school visits and doing locker searches. Connolly doesn't mind it one bit. 

"We do it because of the love of the dogs," he said. “This dog may some day be what saves my life."