Approximately 50 people, mostly children, were there to hear the presentation and learn more about the perils and pleasures of K9 duties.
Shandley explained the dangerous nature when he apologized for his partner Roscoe's absence. Shandley said the night before, Roscoe was chasing a "bad guy" through a forest when a branch scraped Roscoe's eyeball.
Shandley later expounded on the hazardous duties of the dogs. "Half of our dogs find drugs, the other half finds bombs. They all chase bad guys," he said after the formal question-and-answer.
Russell demonstrated that some fun could be had when she produced a toy for Raptor, which he eagerly chomped down on. Russell then swung the 80-pound dog around in a circle, resulting in squeals of delight from the children and a big dog grin from Raptor.
"You could give him a tennis ball, a soccer ball, a basketball, whatever," said Russell. "He's happy."
During the question-and-answer period after the officer's presentation, Russell showed another "trick" Raptor could do: "I can tell him to speak without talking," she said. Russell then cupped a hand to her ear and Raptor dutifully barked.
These dogs are specially trained, and not every dog has the right stuff, Shandley said after the formal session.
"They're major-leaguers," he said. "Private security needs dogs, too, and they pay better than the police, so it's getting harder and harder to find good dogs."
Still, the perks of living a dog's life are there. "Our dogs get taken care of better than any other employees," Shandley said.
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