DEPUTY DOGS

Crime-fighting K-9s raised in Wetumpka

Alek, brother to Mackenzee, works in New Jersey

Story by Amy Passaretti Photos by Chetta Cometa

Donna McNeil spent two weeks sleeping on an air mattress in a puppy den outside of her Wetumpka home when the latest litter of little heroes was born. As the bloodhound breeding coordinator for 832 K-9’s Deputy Dogs, McNeil ensures each dog’s safety, comfort and strength to prepare them for law enforcement training and service throughout the United States.

“I deliver them, weigh them, bottle-feed them and snuggle with them as if they’re my own babies,” said McNeil, who has been with 832 Deputy Dogs for 16 years.

The operation began in Florida, but McNeil moved to Wetumpka two years ago and continues the breeding aspect of the operation here. More than 270 pups have been placed with officers throughout the country to assist with missing persons, locating criminals and solidifying evidence.

“The 832 organization is well known to officers in the U.S. They contact us, and we find a bloodhound match through our screening process,” said McNeil.

Each dog is different, and recognizing individual personalities and strengths helps pair bloodhounds with certain officers in distinct locations. McNeil then hand delivers the dogs, and trainers help coordinate the adjustment processes.

“We support handlers to bond with their dogs before we just leave them. We also maintain training sessions about two or three times throughout the year, so handlers and dogs stay up to date with certifications,” said McNeil.

The bloodlines of 832 Deputy Dogs are pure, and the lineage goes back four generations. This not only retains the species’ skills but also allows McNeil to know about any possible health conditions.

She raises the puppies until they are eight weeks old and initiates the training process to stimulate their instinctual inquisitiveness. Using small obstacles around the yard, she encourages them to cross a moving bridge, climb steps and go through tunnels.

“We don’t teach obedience; they really teach us what it is they can do,” McNeil said. “We don’t want to discipline, necessarily. I tend to just distract them. There’s a fine line between breaking their spirits and teaching them, ‘no’ because you can’t make them afraid of anything, so they can do their jobs.”

With more than two million olfactory receptors, bloodhounds are naturally equipped to track scents, the bloodhound is the only dog testimony allowed in a court of law, she explained.

“It’s important to trust your dog; know your dog; know how to read your dog. Recognize what your dog is telling you – they know what they’re doing,” said

Donna McNeil breeds bloodhounds for Deputy Dogs at her home in Wetumpka (Photo by Amy Passaretti)

McNeil.

To start out, trainers run puppy tracks to slowly bring out those abilities.

“We’ll agitate them a little, take off running and hide. We have them find us by making noise. Eventually we hide and make no noise. We increasingly make it more difficult to find the trainer,” said McNeil.

At eight weeks old, the pups are sent to foster homes to acclimate them to sights, sounds and as many different people and situations as possible.

“We want foster parents to take the pups anywhere they can to expose them to many different experiences,” said McNeil.

Since foster parents are with the dogs from eight weeks old to eight months old, they really become familiar with their personalities, which helps with placement.

Benelli was born May 2018 in Wetumpka and now works with a K9 Unit

“They give us feedback as to what the dogs like and dislike; what they do well; how they behave. It gives us a more accurate view of each pup,” said McNeil.

Foster households often get together for play dates as a way to share knowledge and experiences. When it’s time to turn them in, everyone gets together to grieve over letting them go. While it may be a difficult task, they know they’re going on to do important work, said McNeil. “We’re close with a lot of our handlers who receive our dogs. We will call the foster families frequently to let them know what their dogs have done, since we know they will be proud. It makes it easier to let them go,” said McNeil.

All dogs are chipped, so if foster families don’t want the dogs or handlers don’t connect well, all trainees come back to 832. McNeil said they know where their dogs are at all times.

A year ago, the first litter was born in Alabama, and the first month on the job, one of those dogs made its first find while working in New Jersey. Since the organization’s inception, four dogs have worked in Elmore County, and one does currently.

Investigator Bill Wilson with the Elmore County Sheriff’s Department lives with his bloodhound, Clyde. They’ve worked together for five years, and he is the only one in the tri-county area, so Wilson takes Clyde anywhere he may be needed.

“We educate law enforcement about everything these bloodhounds are really capable of doing. They’ve caught murderers, rapists, burglars, located missing persons and more,” said McNeil.

Mackenzee, sister of Clyde, recently gave birth to a litter of eight pups. They are at the stage of being trained in

foster homes.

“Out of this litter, we will likely hold back two female pups for future breeding with artificial insemination,” said McNeil.

Volunteers help her tear newspapers for the puppy pen, do some cleaning and most importantly, hold the dogs.

“We like to have as many hands as possible on the puppies, so they quickly become used to people,” she said.

McNeil always knew she wanted to train dogs but assumed she would be working with German shepherds. When she found out about 832 Deputy Dogs, she reached out and has been with the organization ever since.

“What really got me hooked was a seminar we did with the FBI. It was like three straight days of Law and Order,” McNeil said. “Hearing all the accomplishments these dogs have obtained, I realized there was a huge need for them. We don’t like to think about it, but crimes and missing people happen every day.”

The organization 832 K-9’s Deputy Dogs was formed in honor of Deputy Kody Snodgrass. He grew up interacting with bloodhounds since his parents became interested in search and rescue after his aunt’s murder in the ’70s.

Snodgrass was the handler for bloodhound Jimmy at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office in Florida. As a road deputy and part of the tactical team, Snodgrass and Jimmy saved many lives, uncovered evidence and tracked down criminals.

When Snodgrass died in an off-duty motorcycle accident, his parents formed 832 Deputy Dogs in his memory. His badge number was 0832.

For more information about the organization, its programs and its history, visit deputydogs.org.