When a pit bull named Leonard arrived at an animal shelter, he was labeled as unadoptable. No one wanted to deal with him because of his obsession with toys. He tends to become aggressive when someone tries to get his toys.
Jim Alloway, the animal shelter’s executive director, saw Leonard in a different light. He saw potential in the pit bull and recognized how exceptional that dog was. The director believed that Leonard was not as obsessive as people say. Rather, he was just a misunderstood dog who wanted to play.
Jim said that Leonard’s behavior is something that he would often see in police dogs. That behavior made him a good candidate to become a K9 pit bull. With that in mind, Leonard was sent to a police department and underwent the necessary training programs to become a police dog.
Interestingly, it was the first time that a particular police department had trained a pit bull. Leonard’s lack of prior obedience training made him challenging to control. However, the trainers knew how to utilize his reward-driven personality to teach him important skills, like drug detection.
Terry Mitchell, the first chief of police to work alongside Leonard, was worried when he first worked with the pit bull. His worry soon turned to admiration after seeing Leonard in action. Meanwhile, Krishea Osborn, the director of the K9 training department, praised Leonard for his excellent work ethic.
Mitchell proudly proclaimed that Leonard was just like any other police dog that gets the work done. The other police officers who observed the pit bull shared the same opinion. Leonard’s performance makes the other police officers wish they were also working with him.
Leonard is considered Ohio’s happiest police dog. His story highlights how second chances can bring out the best in any dog. Regardless of breed, every dog has the potential to be great when given an opportunity.
Source: BARK via YouTube.