Corp. Daniel Clark, K-9 handler for the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office visited with the Elizabethtown Rotary Club on Wednesday afternoon. Corp. Clark is assigned to work with the K-9 Jax.
He told the club Jax is 20 months old and still considered a puppy. He said the Sheriff’s Office also has a second K-9 named Kane who is five years old. Corp. Clark said the Elizabethtown Police Department has a K-9 that is a Labrador Retriever named Murphy.
Corp. Clark told the club Jax is a Belgian Malinois. He said the Belgian Malinois is very energetic breed and needs plenty of exercise and attention from its owner.
Corp. Clark said he is responsible for making sure Jax gets enough exercise, he is fed, and when necessary, he is disciplined.
He told the club Jax is certified through the National Police Work Dog Association.
Jax is trained to find drugs, search buildings, article detection training, apprehension, and handler protection.
Corp. Clark said there is a lot of documentation required when working with a K-9. He said the K-9 program requires documentation of all training and documentation each time Jax is deployed.
Corp. Clark said he and Jax periodically conduct searches of East Bladen and West Bladen High Schools. He said he notifies Bladen County Schools Superintendent Robert Taylor they are entering the school and then contacts Taylor to let him know what was found.
Corp. Clark said since he and Jax started visiting the schools, the amount of drugs that has been found has steadily decreased.
Corp. Clark also said Jax has saved his life.
“The first week on patrol (together), we got a call about a subject barricaded in a house,” said Corp. Clark.
He said the officer who was on the scene requested assistance and Corp. Clark said he and Jax arrived on the scene and learned what was taking place.
Corp. Clark said he called out to the subject inside the house twice. When the subject would not come out, he went and kicked in the door and entered the house. Corp. Clark said he went to the right when going through the door but noticed Jax was pulling him to the left.
Corp. Clark said he looked to his left and saw the subject standing there with an ax. He said when the subject saw Jax, he dropped the ax and eventually surrendered.
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