Stryker will be missed
Stryker's been gone for more than six months, but he still lives in the hearts and minds of his handlers, Alan Kotschwar and Donny Sailors.
"He was just like a member of the family," Chief Deputy Alan Kotschwar said. "He loved to play games, especially fetch, and he had his favorite balls and toys."
But there was another side to Stryker. His business side. Any time Alan or Donny gave a command, Stryker sprang into action, sniffing out drugs, tracking suspects and rising to the protection of his handler and others in peril.
Stryker, a black and sable, 85-pound, male German Shepherd, gave Southwest Nebraska more than 10 years of his life, arriving in February 1997 and passing away from cancer in April of this year. At work and at play, he endeared himself to law enforcement personnel and the public, especially the young people of the area.
"He was a beautiful dog in all senses of the word," Sailors said. "He was an outstanding asset to McCook and the area."
Born in Czechoslovakia, Stryker received his basic training there before being brought to the United States by the Rudy Drexler School for Dogs in Elkhart, Ind. That is who selected Red Willow County as the place for Stryker. As a dual purpose dog, Stryker had special skills and that's what Sheriff Gene Mahon and his staff wanted.
"He could sniff out drugs and he could also track suspects, do building searches and protect his handlers and others in danger," Deputy Kotschwar said.
It did not take Stryker long to show his skill. During the Red Willow County Fair in 1997, the Nebraska State Patrol put out a call for assistance. Patrol officers had made a vehicle stop and needed help searching the car. Stryker did what he was trained to do: he found drugs and he also sniffed out $16,000 in cash.
Not long after that, Stryker was again johnny on the spot, checking out an abandoned vehicle and picking up the scent of the young men who had stolen it. He then led law enforcement officers to the lawbreakers, who were hiding in a tree line a mile away.
As helpful as his searches and trackings were, Deputy Kotschwar said Stryker's public relations work may have been of even greater importance. "Thanks to Stryker's great way with kids, we were able to spread the law enforcement message throughout Southwest Nebraska," the chief deputy said. "Stryker and I appeared at schools in Dundy County, Hayes County, Furnas County, Frontier County, Hitchcock County and Red Willow County. He never failed to connect with the kids. He showed them how to sniff out crime and pursue the perpetrators."
It took $14,000 to acquire Stryker, purchase equipment and get training for officers Sailors and Kotschwar. It was worth every penny of it in the opinion of the handlers.
Now, both Sailors and Kotschwar believe the McCook area needs to get another law enforcement dog to provide the same services that Stryker did. First, an officer is needed to take on the responsibility of handling a trained law enforcement canine, then funds will need to be raised to purchase the dog and pay for training and equipment.
"I will help with the fund raising," Sailors said. "It takes a special individual to care for and command a canine officer like Stryker, but if we can find such a law enforcement person it would be great for this town and this area."
To get the ball rolling, Kotschwar and Sailors suggest that supporters of the idea call this area's top ranking law enforcement officers: McCook Police Chief Isaac Brown, or Red Willow County Sheriff Gene Mahon.
Stryker is missed. He led the way. Now, the time has come to get a new canine officer to follow in his footsteps.