Hero Dogs
What Is Meant To Be Will Always Find A Way.
by Anna Cooke
As a puppy, Reeves was destined to become a service dog. He was born and bred for the work. His sponsor, Reeves Import Motorcars and his Southeastern Guide Dogs volunteer puppy raiser Tracy Horrell, had big plans for him. Their hope was that he would eventually be trained for and then matched with a wounded warrior through the Paws For Patriots program at Southeastern Guide Dogs (SEGD).
the Academy. The teams would spend the next four weeks together, rooming in a dorm and training, day and night. There were fellow fire investigators from 11 states, including Florida and Calgary, Canada. “Arson is not a victimless crime,” said Rosman, who has
been with the Fire Marshal’s Office since 2015. “Somebody suffers from the crime of arson, whether it’s the homeowner, property owner or the insurance company.” Reeves happens to be Rosman’s first dog, ever. “It was just
sort of the family lifestyle, I guess. My wife, Barbara, grew up with dogs and cats, so she knew what it was like to have a dog, but not me.” Reeves goes to work with Rosman every day. “He rides great in the car, and he’s great at home - a 61 pound lap dog. If I leave the house, he’ll just wait right by the door. He follows me around the house like he’s a barnacle. We’re definitely attached.” They continue to train at least four times a day because that’s how Reeves gets fed. “He only eats when we train or when he’s working. We want the dogs to always be ready to work, and to do that, they get fed random amounts of food every day at random times,” said Rosman. “They never know when they’re going to eat, which keeps them ready to go to work.” Rosman works with his veterinarian for the exact amount of food Reeves needs each day. It’s 100 percent reinforcement for Reeves.
Throughout the day the team will do various training exercises. “We can do outdoor searches, people sniffs, evidence sniffs, all kinds of stuff,” said Rosman. On average, accelerant detection dogs are in
When Reeves was called up for his service
dog training duties at SEGD, his actions deter- mined that his destiny as a service dog for a wounded warrior was not meant to be. With his high drive and keen sense of smell, his trainers recommended a career change for service in the public sector might just be the ticket for the lovable Lab. At almost two years old, Reeves is now making headlines
(Top left): Reeves as a puppy. (Above): Solomon Rosman and Reeves.
service until they are 10 years old. When Reeves retires, he will live with the Rosman family. “Reeves is very much a people dog. He doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. When he
retires, he’ll get fed a couple of times a day from a dish and won’t know what to do with himself,” said Rosman. Life can be about second chances. Sometimes, like with
and friends across the state of New Hampshire as another kind of canine hero. He and his partner, Solomon Rosman, are one of two K9 arson investigation teams for the State Fire Marshal's Office. Reeves’ specialty is finding accelerants that could be used to start a fire. He’s been trained to identify up to 61 differ- ent types of fire-starters. The 200-hour certification course that Rosman and
Reeves took ran for four weeks at the New Hampshire Fire Academy in Concord. It costs about $25,000 to certify a team. Rosman was paired with Reeves the day before they started training. He was one of 17 Labrador Retrievers sent to
www.TheNewBarker.com
Reeves, that chance was a career change. A change, it could be argued, that will allow him to reach or exceed the potential his trainers envisioned.
U Y
Reeves Import Motorcars is a supporter of Southeastern Guide Dogs, including sponsoring a puppy, giving them naming rights to the dog. Sandy is the second dog the Tampa dealership is
sponsoring. Tracy Horrell, Reeves puppy raiser volunteer, is oversee- ing Sandy’s training. For information on how to be a sponsor or become a puppy raiser volunteer, visit
GuideDogs.org or call 941.729.5665.
ReevesImportMotorcars.com
THE NEW BARKER 47
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