Police Dog

Mike Andrel whacks his dog Ruger on the flank to make him bark angrily at a colleague and, on command, leap and bite the man's arm - hard. "Platz!" yells Andrel, using the German word for "sit. " Instantly, Ruger begs off, eyeing the asbestos arm protector on his victim but obediently awaiting new commands. The apparent violence of the exercise belies the subtlety of police-dog training - an art that has propelled Andrel to the closest thing there is to a world championship.

Vigil for slain bar owner Family and friends of John Adams, an Olney bar owner who died a year ago today after being shot in a robbery outside his bar, will hold a candlelight vigil in his memory at 6 tonight. Adams, 47, ran Johnny's Top Cat Club, on 5th Street near Ruscomb. He was accosted by two men outside his bar the night of May 2, 2010, after he walked a female patron to her car. After being shot by one man, he died in a hospital eight days later. The vigil will be held outside the club, which has since been closed.

TRENTON - People who intentionally kill police dogs or dogs involved in search-and-rescue operations may soon face stiffer penalties in New Jersey. The Assembly is set to consider legislation, named after a Gloucester Township police dog killed in November, that would mandate minimum five-year prison terms - with no chance of parole - for such offenders, who also would face fines of up to $15,000. The current maximum sentence is three to five years in prison. The measure, set to be considered on Monday, was passed by the state senate in February.

A Williamstown man barked up the wrong tree Friday when, authorities said, he burglarized 10 cars in Gloucester Township, Camden County, then came face to snout with a determined police dog. Joseph A. McLaughlin, 40, of the 1800 block of the North Black Horse Pike, was allegedly breaking into vehicles in the township's Cobblestone development shortly after 3 a.m. when a resident spotted him and called police, authorities said. Officers showed up with a police dog which caught the scent of the burglar from one of the cars, quickly located the fleeing suspect, and took him down, authorities said.

Andy, the Plymouth Township police dog accidentally shot this week during a search for bank-robbery suspects, will be remembered at a memorial service on Wednesday. Plymouth Township Police Chief Joseph Lawrence said yesterday that hundreds of condolences had come in from the public, the Secret Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, law-enforcement agencies from the area, and police departments in Ohio, Virginia and Connecticut. "Basically, we are treating this as an officer killed in the line of duty," said Lawrence.

Nelo, a beloved drug-sniffing police dog that was found dead on Wednesday, was the victim of an apparent hunting accident, authorities said yesterday. Chester County District Attorney Joseph W. Carroll said a hunter who had a connection to the West Caln Township property where the 16-month-old German shepherd was found admitted shooting Nelo. "He seemed to be genuinely upset," said Carroll. "He said he mistook the dog for a coyote. " Carroll said the man, who will not be identified until the investigation has been completed, said the shooting occurred Monday morning.

After a three-month illness, Boss, the 8-year-old police dog, died last week after a relapse. Boss died March 11 due to complications with his esophagus, according to Daniel Buckley, his handler and partner of seven years. "The spark wasn't there," said Buckley, who explained that Boss was unable to recover from two operations during a two-month stay at the Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Boss was hospitalized in mid-March for bouts with nausea and vomiting.

A Camden County grand jury returned an indictment Tuesday against the 21-year-old man accused of hurling a police dog onto a highway last year. A former football standout at Washington Township High School, Skyler Robinson, was arrested in November after allegedly robbing a Chinese takeout shop and then killing the dog during the subsequent police chase along Route 42 in Gloucester Township. Lawyer Saul Steinberg, who is representing Robinson, said the grand jury heard only "the limited evidence which the prosecution chose to present.

A Williamstown man barked up the wrong tree Friday when, authorities said, he burglarized 10 cars in Gloucester Township, Camden County, then came face to snout with a determined police dog. Joseph A. McLaughlin, 40, of the 1800 block of the North Black Horse Pike, is accused of breaking into vehicles in the township's Cobblestone development shortly after 3 a.m. when a resident called police, authorities said. Officers showed up with a police dog, which caught the burglar's scent from one of the cars, quickly located the fleeing suspect, and took him down, authorities said.

TRENTON - New Jersey lawmakers have approved a bill to impose stiffer penalties for killing a police dog. The measure calls for a minimum five-year prison term and a fine of up to $15,000. Current law calls for a three-to-five-year term. Following passage by the Assembly on Monday, the legislation went to Gov. Christie. The measure was drafted in response to the 2010 killing of Schultz, a 31/2-year-old Gloucester Township police dog that was thrown into traffic by a robbery suspect who had been tracked down near a busy highway.

An off-duty Philadelphia police officer was walking his personal dog today in the city's Fernhill section when it was attacked by two other dogs. The off-duty officer flagged down a passing on-duty officer, according to police. One of the attacking dogs lunged at the on-duty officer, who then fired his gun, killing the dog. The other dog fled. Police say the incident occurred about 10 a.m. on the 4000 block of McKean Street. It was not immediately known if the owner of the attacking dogs faces charges.

Logan, a 7-year-old, bomb-sniffing German shepherd, was the pride of the Folcroft Borough Police Department until he was diagnosed with a progressive spinal condition that left him unable to walk. He was euthanized in November. Now the Delaware County department is trying to raise $18,000 to replace what it sees as an essential member of the force. But as Folcroft plans for another dog, other small departments in the area are opting to drop their canine programs, which they find too costly.

A South Jersey micro Yorkshire terrier, "the world's smallest working dog," had a tiny appearance Wednesday morning on Live! With Kelly . After Dolly Parton, iCarly star Amanda Cosgrove, and a recipe segment, out came 2.5-pound, 3-year-old Lucy to end the show. For once, petite host Kelly Ripa, who grew up in Camden County, had a guest who made her look huge, as she held the pooch. Owner Sally Leone Montufar said Lucy dresses up for visits to hospitals, nursing homes, and other care facilities.

A South Jersey micro Yorky, "the world's smallest working dog," had a tiny appearance on Live! With Kelly this morning. After Dolly Parton, iCarly star Amanda Cosgrove and a recipe segment, out came 2.5-pound, 3-year-old Lucy, to end the show. For once, petite host Kelly Ripa, also from South Jersey, had a guest who made her look huge, as she held the pooch, and owner Sally Leone Montufar explained that Lucy dresses up for visits to hospitals, nursing homes and other care-giving facilities.

L.A. activists set to defy eviction LOS ANGELES - Despite a fast-approaching deadline set by the mayor and police chief, very few of the anti-Wall Street protesters from Occupy Los Angeles had begun breaking down their tents Saturday on the City Hall lawn - and most said they didn't intend to. The Occupy LA encampment was abuzz with activity, but nearly all of it was aimed at how to deal with authorities come Monday's 12:01 a.m. deadline....

The accomplice in a Chinese-takeout robbery that ended with the death of a police dog in November accepted a plea deal Monday. Evan Scotese, 20, of Washington Township, pleaded guilty to robbing the Gloucester Township restaurant and is expected to be sentenced to six years in prison under the deal. Scotese had faced additional charges of aggravated assault and conspiracy under an eight-count indictment presented by a Camden County grand jury in June. Skyler Robinson, a former football standout at Washington Township High School, awaits trial for his alleged role in the robbery and death of the police dog, which was run over during the police chase.

Ex-cop's sex-act trial set Former Police Officer Joseph Harvey, who was fired last year for allegedly exposing himself and performing a sex act in front of a woman, will be tried in October, a judge has ruled. Harvey, 37, is charged with indecent exposure, false imprisonment and official oppression stemming from the alleged Oct. 9, 2009, incident in an abandoned Kensington house. His trial is to start Oct. 3, Municipal Judge James M. DeLeon ruled. Harvey, who was on the force for seven years, was with other officers who raided the house looking for drugs.

A Camden County grand jury returned an indictment Tuesday against the 21-year-old man accused of hurling a police dog onto a highway last year. A former football standout at Washington Township High School, Skyler Robinson, was arrested in November after allegedly robbing a Chinese takeout shop and then killing the dog during the subsequent police chase along Route 42 in Gloucester Township. Lawyer Saul Steinberg, who is representing Robinson, said the grand jury heard only "the limited evidence which the prosecution chose to present.

PITTSBURGH - A post-mortem exam shows a police dog died of heatstroke after being left in his handler's parked squad car for nearly four hours, according to a western Pennsylvania police chief. New Castle Police Chief Thomas Sansone isn't identifying the officer who was handling Chico, the 6-year-old Dutch shepherd that died Saturday. The dog was found unresponsive in the car parked outside the station about 45 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. The Lawrence County district attorney is also investigating to determine whether criminal charges are warranted, Sansone said.

TRENTON - New Jersey lawmakers have approved a bill to impose stiffer penalties for killing a police dog. The measure calls for a minimum five-year prison term and a fine of up to $15,000. Current law calls for a three-to-five-year term. Following passage by the Assembly on Monday, the legislation went to Gov. Christie. The measure was drafted in response to the 2010 killing of Schultz, a 31/2-year-old Gloucester Township police dog that was thrown into traffic by a robbery suspect who had been tracked down near a busy highway.