Chino Valley K-9 Cop Team Tracks Lawbreakers

The K-9 cop and his trainer, Chino Valley Police Department Officer Steven Sellers, are doing so well that the department wants another K-9 unit, but that will take more funding and time.

“Being a small town, we always need help with donations. We can use anything, whether it’s dog toys or funding for better training,” said Sellers, noting that individuals can simply walk into the police department to drop off donations.

As the only K-9 officer in Chino Valley, Sellers is on call around the clock. He also lives with K9 Officer Sirius, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois named after a character in the Harry Potter series, Sirius Black.

Sirius, who came from the Netherlands, is German, Dutch and English. The team has been together two-and-a-half years.

“Sirius was a ‘green’ dog, but I was also a first-time K-9 handler,” he said. “I grew up a dog person and I always wanted to be a K-9 cop.”

Sellers had three months in-house K-9 training with Sgt. Dave McNally. Now, Sirius helps with drug detection, apprehension and tracking.

Sellers also takes Sirius to events at schools so students can meet and pet him. McNally says he has a kind personality and is easy to approach. “He knows when to turn [the charm] on and off,” Sellers said, referencing the dog’s interaction with suspected lawbreakers.

Sellers loves working with Sirius and sees the dog as a tool to help with law enforcement. He notes one challenge occurs when the two are tracking someone after dark, as Sellers can’t see what the dog is seeing. “Sirius is my backup and he’s getting better at tracking. He’s an obedient dog.”

Sellers, who grew up in Colorado, has been with the Chino Valley Police Department for more than six years, and has been a police officer for 14 years. QCBN

By Stan Bindell, QCBN

Photo by Stan Bindell