The problem is good-looking, has four paws and is called Ozzie.
Or "Officer Ozzi" - according to the website of the Delaware County Sheriff's Department.
Because "Officer Ozzie" was allegedly purchased "from funds contributed by the good citizen of Delaware County" and because his "basic needs are totally sponsored" also by the "good citizens of Delaware County", and not out of the County budget, I especially want to see title records of "Officer Ozzie" - when Delaware County answers my FOIL request.
And, for the same reason I will hold off on the "officer" part until Delaware County provides me copies of the title records of Ozzi - because if Ozzi is privately owned, he cannot be an "officer" of Delaware County Sheriff's Department.
Now, why do I call the handsome Ozzie a healthcare nightmare for Delaware County and its CCCs (myself included) waiting to happen?
Here is why.
The description of "Officer" Ozzie on the website of the Delaware County Sheriff's Department shows that "Officer Ozzie" is - allegedly - a fully trained "dual purpose" German Shepherd.
A bite from a German Shepherd, according to the National Geographic, equals 238 pounds of force, just 3 times less than a bite of a lion, weaker than a Rottweiler's and stronger than a pit bull's.
You know what kind of dogs were used by the Nazis in concentration camps - to rip people apart?
German Shepherds.
A German Shepherd is a dangerous and powerful dog.
THAT'S WHY it is used for patrol.
It can easily overpower a human and effect an arrest.
Look, for example, at this video of an attack by two German Shepherds on a human (I understand, in a training session) - I warn you that the video is graphic.
Here is also an excerpt from an old Russian movie - I apologize, there are no English subtitles, but it is self-explanatory and shows a German Shepherd in its full attacking glory - just rewind the clip to about 3:00 (the episode describes how a plain-clothes specialized K-9 police officer comes to get an abandoned German Shepherd out of a train car).
Such a dog can kill, and it certainly can bite.
The use of such a dog is no different than the use of a gun - the dog's force can be deadly.
But, the "deadly" part can also come from a single non-fatal bite - if the dog has a transmittable disease because it is not protected by shots.
Not only Ozzie is around his handler John Demeo all the time - which is more dangerous than to be exposed to a rabid raccoon, in view of Demeo's violent tendencies that gets him shifted from department to department and from handling people to handling dogs, but does not get him canned - but in Delaware County where Ozzie lives and works there are also 4-legged wild animals all around, and rabid ones, too - foxes, skunks, raccoons.
And, there are no records that Ozzie has his proper shots.
Here is an answer to my friend Barbara O'Sullivan's Freedom of Information Request to Delaware County about the vet records of the alleged officer Ozzie.
No records means no records.
And that's a big problem.
Because each dog in Delhi, NY needs to receive shots, and ESPECIALLY when such dogs is used by the County for drug arrests - and is flaunted to the public AND the children in various gatherings.
It is good if this dog helps apprehend suspects - if the use of the og is legal and if the arrest is legal.
Yet, if the dog has rabies because he did not get shots - and the dog develop rabies itself, think what will happen, unexpectedly, to people and animals around that dog, and that includes children.
On March 4, 2016, Delaware County publicly invited children, including children under 10 years old, to a fundraiser held in Walton, NY for Ozzie.
Ozzie himself was there at the fundraiser, exposed to children.
Yet, on April 8, 2016, Delaware County answers a FOIL request regarding Ozzie's vet records and says that there are no such records.
Meaning, Ozzie has no shots.
I lived in Delhi, NY for 16+ years, until last year.
At all times when I lived in Delhi, NY we had dogs, both larger and smaller than Ozzie.
We had:
2 border collies - smaller;
1 Pomeranian - smaller; and
1 Old English sheepdog - much bigger
ALL of those dogs had to have regular shots.
EACH year the vet would send us a card notifying us that it is time to renew our dogs' shots.
EACH time when our dog would get his or her shots, we had a receipt from the vet confirming that our dogs are current on shots.
The mysterious answer of Delaware County to Barbara O'Sullivan's FOIL request may mean that:
1) Ozzie does not have shots; or
2) the Delaware County chose not to get confirmation of his shots from the vet - which is bad; or
3) that Ozzie does not belong to Delaware County, and that's why Delaware County does not have records of his shots.
So - when you see "Officer Ozzie", take cover.
He may be rabid.
Because, Delaware County has no records of his shots - and it is too much of a gamble with your life to assume that he has shots, in case he decides to go after you.
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