A Belgian Malinois trained to be the ninth member of a Cannon Beach, Oregon, police force has been given the boot, evidently unfit for the field of law enforcement.
Two-year-old “Cash” was dismissed before he even got to see action, The Associated Press reported.
Among his many faults: He was afraid of heights. He had barking difficulties. And he startled at the slightest of noises, AP reported. On top of that, he couldn’t perform one of his key roles — jumping into high spots, like counters, to sniff out drugs.
Instead, he’d just start barking, police said.
“[Barking is] fine as an alert, but you can’t get anything done when you’re trying to get him to find dope and he’s just barking in your face,” said Officer Josh Gregory, the dog’s former handler, in an interview with the Daily Astorian.
So it’s back to owner Tami Schultz of Clastsop County Search and Rescue for him, AP reported. Meanwhile, the Cannon Beach authorities have put out a new ad to fill Cash’s shoes — or paws.
It says: Wanted, “ball-crazy, happy, wanting-to-work dog,” Officer Gregory said, in the AP report.
The new pup will receive two to three weeks of training to see if it makes the cut.
Other forces around the nation, like police departments in Illinois, have called on the Belgian Malinois to serve in K9 capacities with success.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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