Zeta's Love Story - Ellie's Rainy Day Fund

“I’m a single dad, living on a policeman’s salary. But a member of my family needed help! I had to get her out of pain and give her back the ability to move well again! She provided for me for the last 8 years. She did her service. The donors of Ellie’s Rainy Day Fund have honored her legacy of the thousands of citizens she’s protected. Thank you for giving her back her life and for keeping my family whole.”

– Zeta’s Dad

Allow me to introduce you to Zeta. If you live in the Dayton area, or attend music or sporting events in Cincinnati, it’s likely she has contributed to your safety. She served tirelessly on the City of Dayton police force for 8 years (until Feb., 2022) in the dual roles of explosives detection and patrol K-9. Some of her duties in bomb detection have included: the 2016 & 2020 Presidential elections, 2015 MLB All-Star game, NCAA First Four, UD Men’s Basketball, US Men’s World Cup Qualifying Game, WWE Smackdown and Country Concert in Fort Loramie. Then of course there’s dignitary protection, tracking of missing children and seniors, and bomb sweeps—more than 50 of them specifically at schools. During her almost 8 year career, she was deployed in excess of 250 times.

I had the privilege during those years of being her handler. We counted on each other at times for our lives. Thanks to a law in the State of Ohio that honors this bond, I was given first opportunity to purchase Zeta when she retired. Police K-9s are usually imported from Europe and between their purchase and extensive training, a single dog often costs a police department about $30,000. Prior to the law that I mentioned above, when a dog was getting older, s/he was often sold to a smaller department at reduced cost, giving them access to a K-9 but meaning the dog kept working until it died. Thanks to Ohio’s law, I was able to make Zeta a member of my and my 2-year-old son’s family instead–for $1.00.

And family she is! She is amazing with my son; really with all kids. He can pull her fur and climb all over her and she sits patiently. It always made me smile when kids at schools or demonstrations got so much joy from interacting with her. Now it’s the same with my son. With me she’s always willing to be a 74 pound lap dog, or to roll on a moment’s notice for a belly rub. She loves being brushed. She enjoys fetching a ball but she WON’T give it back. She lays just out of reach and chews on it instead. And you should hear her when I tell her to “talk trash”. Makes everybody laugh!

Police dogs work hard. Their bodies undergo a lot of stress in the line of duty. German shepherds are focused and loyal and smart. Unfortunately, because of their confirmation, they have a propensity toward knee injuries. Zeta had to have her left knee repaired in 2019. Amazingly, she was able to return to duty. A month after she retired (and became my financial responsibility), the ACL in her right knee tore.

I’m a single dad, living on a policeman’s salary. But a member of my family needed help! I had to get her out of pain and give her back the ability to move well again! She provided for me for the last 8 years. She did her service. The donors of Ellie’s Rainy Day Fund have honored her legacy of the thousands of citizens she’s protected. Thank you for giving her back her life and for keeping my family whole.

2016 & 2020 Presidential elections
2015 MLB All-Star game
NCAA First Four
UD Men’s Basketball
US Men’s World Cup Qualifying Game
WWE Smackdown and Country Concert in Fort Loramie

Then of course there’s dignitary protection, tracking of missing children and seniors, and bomb sweeps—more than 50 of them specifically at schools. During her almost 8 year career, she was deployed in excess of 250 times.