The Lackawanna County Sheriff’s Department made a very important addition to its staff to assist the other deputies in handling advanced public safety incidents.
The new “officer” is Kato, a certified bomb and patrol dog.
Born in the Czech Republic, the Sheriff’s Department obtained Kato from Shallow Creek Kennels in Sharpsville, Pennsylvania. His breed is generally that of a herding dog from Holland, which is why all of his commands are spoken in Dutch.
Deputy Ryan DeLuccie is Kato’s canine handler. He also had to incur six weeks of intense training. The one and a half year old Kato is a dual purpose dog trained to detect explosives and handle patrol work. He can track individuals and is capable of apprehending suspects or felons upon Ryan’s command.
Adding a certified bomb and patrol dog to the staff has been endorsed by Lackawanna County Commissioners Corey D. O’Brien, Jim Wansacz and Patrick M. O’Malley.
“Kato will be a great asset not only to our community, but our schools as well. We would like to thank the area districts for their commitment to various fundraising events to assist in the procurement of Kato,” explained Commissioner Corey D. O’Brien. “A combination of the Commissioners’ endorsement, support from area schools and resources in the Sheriff’s budget allowed for this important acquisition to happen.”
“With all of the recent bomb threats in Lackawanna County, Deputy DeLuccie and Kato will make an immediate impact on public safety,” said Commissioner Jim Wansacz.
“Keeping our community and schools safe and assisting with the fight on crime in Lackawanna County will always be priority one,” said Commissioner Patrick M. O’Malley. “This is another tool to do just that.”
“He is a high energy dog who loves to work and play,” stated Deputy DeLuccie. “Kato is very excited to go to work every day. He loves getting out into the community and meeting new people. He is affectionate, very good with kids and has already gotten a few hugs.”
Don’t underestimate this new deputy’s kindness with kids. Kato is truly one tough “Deputy Dog” on crime in Lackawanna County.
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