(IN - US) Whiting police dog defends K-9 Crown

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Whiting police dog defends K-9 crown June 20, 2003 
By Bradley Cole Post Tribune correspondent 



 WHITING — For the second year in a row Whiting Police Department’s K-9 
officer Ando took first place overall in narcotics detection at the K-9 Olympics 
in Muncie. Ando and his human partner, Whiting officer Milford Hale, competed 
against 62 other K-9 officers searching for cocaine, heroin, marijuana and 
methamphetamines hidden in vehicles, lockers, buildings and other areas. Ando and 
Hale attended the competition with fellow K-9 officers from Calumet City, 
Ill., and Hammond. “We call ourselves the Woof Pack,” Hale said of himself and 
three other officers. “We practice every other Monday for eight hours going 
through drills and training the dogs to do their jobs.” The Woof Pack was formed 
three years ago, including Hale, Hammond Police Officer Kelvin Alcox, Hammond 
Housing Authority and Hammond Police Officer Steve Guizor and Calumet City, 
Ill., Patrolman Robert Hynek. Together the team has competed in the past three 
K-9 Olympics and taken home many of the top honors, including second place in 
overall team competition this year. Hynek and his K-9 partner, Rocky, finished 
first in the locker search competition and second overall in narcotics 
detection competition. “The Olympics were a bit harder this year,” Hynek said. “The 
toughest part was the obstacle course, which was more than a mile long. We had 
to go through a 30-foot drainage ditch, run 75 feet straight uphill, slide 
down the hill and carry our K-9.” Hynek said as part of the drill, he had to stop 
and put ear protection, a bulletproof vest and a muzzle on Rocky, then shoot 
down three targets and take all of the gear off before continuing. In addition 
to competing in the obstacle course, the K-9 officers took their turns at 
narcotics and bomb searches of buildings and lockers as well as tracking and 
obedience. Alcox, who along with his K-9 officer Viktor took first place in the 
building drug searches and third in the obedience competition, said the officers 
are always looking for new places to train. Guizor, who works with Jack, a 
K-9 officer provided by the Hammond Housing Authority, brought home first place 
in building search competition where Jack had to quickly locate people hiding 
in buildings. Despite the fun and games of the competition, Guizor said being 
a K-9 handler isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. “A lot of officers think you 
have it easy as a K-9 officer,” Guizor said. “You put the dog in the back of 
the car and ride around, but they don’t see it when you have to stop and clean 
out the car because the dog is sick. They aren’t there when your home with the 
dog taking care of it. It’s not an 8-hour job, it’s a 24-hour commitment.” 

    

    

    




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