THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 7, 1995 TAG: 9505050278
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Another View
SOURCE: BY A.C. BLACK JR.
LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
On April 27 at approximately 11:55 p.m., a retired civil servant with a history of unselfish service to the City of Chesapeake passed away.
He worked for the city for only five years, but his tenure was marked by constant vigilance. He was always ready, 24 hours a day, to be called upon to serve our citizens. While he was never considered a dignitary, he never left his home without the city providing an armed escort and a chauffeur. Even though he could neither read nor write, he made numerous public appearances, and left each audience in awe.
While he didn't receive one red cent for his services, he never complained about working conditions, lack of time off or his benefits package. He was content to work for the pure joy of the job and a small amount of praise from his co-worker.
The civil servant's name was Shadow, and he was a retired Chesapeake Sheriff's Office K-9.
I was proud to be his partner and to have graduated from Norfolk Police K-9 Training Academy with him. Shadow served the citizens of Chesapeake in many capacities: He assured their safety by serving as a prisoner-movement escort at the City Jail; he was available around the clock for tracking and apprehending criminal suspects, crowd control and building searches; he was always ready to assist in any major disturbance or riot at any penal institution; and he greatly enjoyed meeting local kids when he performed K-9 demos for Chesapeake schools and other civic groups. He was one of the true pioneers in the utilization of law enforcement K-9 by the City of Chesapeake.
When I left the Sheriff's Department in 1986 to become a probation and parole officer for the state, Shadow was retired. (Sheriff John R. Newhart cited budgetary reasons for so doing, but I still suspect his humanity was the true motivator.) He was allowed to live with his family - my wife, Meredith, my kids, Trey and Palmer, and myself. He lived a good, full existence, and I'm sure he considered us his pack (with himself in the ``alpha'' role) right up to his last, valiant breath.
When the end came for Shadow, the vet gently told me that his heart had stopped. Through my tears, I couldn't help but wonder how someone so well-trained in veterinary science could know so little about service dogs. Shadow's heart will never stop. It beats on in each police K-9, each search-and-rescue dog now working in Oklahoma City, and in every other dog utilized to help mankind through their unselfish, unconditional love.
Those of you who remember my ``Shad'' from your school days (even those of you who don't), please pay homage to his service by thanking a K-9 officer, a search-and-rescue dog handler, or any other public safety personnel you encounter. As is evidenced by the heroic response to the Oklahoma City tragedy, we should be humbled by the sacrifice made by each of them, as I will always be humbled by the experience of being Shadow's partner. MEMO: Mr. Black is a resident of Hornsea Road in Chesapeake.
ILLUSTRATION: Shadow served the city for 5 years.
by CNB