Once a 'problem child,' pit bull becomes Ohio's 1st K-9 officer of his kind

Toledo Blade for The Associated Press

GENOA, Ohio

With his blocky head, wrinkly face, and droopy jowls, K-9 Leonard doesn’t look like a normal police dog. And he’s not.

Leonard is the first pit bull ever to be certified for police work in Ohio. He finished training in mid-May and will work full time for the Clay Township Police Department near Toledo as the township’s first K-9.

The 2-year-old dog, deemed unadoptable at a shelter, is trained to sniff out drugs and will work all day for his reward — a grubby piece of fire hose.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better dog,” said Terry Mitchell, police chief and Leonard’s handler.

Leonard arrived at central Ohio’s Union County Humane Society as a stray in November. Director Jim Alloway said the dog was a “problem child” and unadoptable for the very behavior that launched his new career in police work.

“He just had a very, very high prey drive or possessiveness drive,” Alloway said.

He said any time Leonard saw someone holding something, he instantly wanted it — no matter what it was — and would try to take it.

“For the average home, that’s a big problem,” Alloway said. “But it’s great for law enforcement.”

He said the decision to send Leonard for police-dog training was one of the easiest he’s ever made since he started evaluating K-9 candidates in 1992. Leonard is the first rescue dog from the Union County Humane Society to be sent for such training, and has spent the last several months with Storm Dog Tactical in Sunbury near Columbus.