(FL - US) Four-legged officers' best friend

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Four-legged officers' best friend


> Like his father before him, Land O'Lakes veterinarian Roy Brooks keeps the 
> 
By EBONY WINDOM, Times Staff Writer© St. Petersburg Times
published June 16, 2003


LAND O'LAKES - Dr. Roy Brooks waited at his Land O'Lakes clinic, expecting 
the worst when he saw the sheriff's helicopter land with a patient named Cliff 
on board.
Some call Cliff a hero for his actions when a routine traffic stop June 2 
turned into a struggle between a Hillsborough County sheriff's deputy and an 
angry driver. Cliff, weighing in at 84 pounds, helped the deputy in her fight with 
the male suspect alongside Interstate 4.
When the suspect's pickup truck later took off with the man wounded inside, 
Cliff dashed after it, into the road.
That's when a semitrailer truck slammed into Cliff as it zoomed down the 
highway. Cliff softened the blow by tucking himself into the rig's wheel well, 
where he tumbled like clothing in a dryer.
Then, he lay stiff, bruised and bleeding until help arrived. He was airlifted 
to Brooks' clinic, Cypress Creek Animal Hospital.
That's because Cliff is a 4-year-old German shepherd. He is a member of the 
Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office K-9 unit and was injured in the line of 
duty.
Brooks' clinic boasts more than 10,000 cat, dog and goat clients, and he also 
specializes in police dogs.
When Scooby the German shepherd or Ruby the bloodhound gets sick, the 
Hillsborough Sheriff's Office calls Dr. Brooks. Its K-9 unit has trusted Brooks for 
18 years to provide medical care to all 19 of its dogs. The full-service clinic 
performs routine teeth cleanings, checkups and X-rays to keep the police dogs 
in top shape. 
K-9 Sgt. Mark Olive says Brooks goes out of his way to meet the needs of his 
clients.
"That's the reason he's our vet," Olive said. "We called him at 1 in the 
morning. There's no predictor as to when our dogs will be hurt. He's dedicated to 
these dogs."
Brooks is a second generation K-9 vet. His father, Dr. Henry Palmer Brooks 
Sr., provided medical care to Hillsborough County police dogs years ago.
Aside from his veterinary medicine background, Brooks says there's no special 
training needed to care for police dogs - just a good dose of common sense. 
"I respect them," Brooks said. "The animals know that I'm not afraid of them. 
I don't make direct eye contact with them. They will attack. These are very 
dominating dogs. They need that personality to do their job well with 
confidence."
Like a sheriff's deputy, a police dog endures intense and specialized 
training, Olive said. Cliff's case proves that sometimes their job can be risky.
The dogs are used to "keep the deputy from being in a position of 
vulnerability." Some police dogs are trained to aid in narcotics and explosives 
detection. Others use keen scent discrimination to track down missing people or 
criminals, Olive said. 
"The dogs and their handlers are an experienced team," Olive said. "They are 
capable of so much. It's important to keep them (the dogs) well-oiled, so to 
speak. We get them everything to keep them viable for a long time."
Cliff returned to work last week, two days after his release from the clinic. 
He suffered swelling and bruising from the accident.
"The limp is even gone now," Brooks said. "He is just a very fortunate dog. 
That dog knows no fear."
Cliff's handler, Deputy Charlotte Rashke, is thankful to have her pal by her 
side again, Olive said.
"They (police dogs) are a fantastic asset to this community," Brooks said.  


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