If you love police dogs and their stories this book is for you. Author Jim Mayfield has done a great job compiling 60 stories that highlight what K9 handlers and their K9 partners experience on the job. We are proud to say that Mr. Mayfield has given a lot of attention to the SSD K9 Detail in his book.

Mr. Mayfield has included five stories from the Sacramento Sheriff’s K9 Detail, picked SSD K9 Jimmy for the cover of the book, and asked former SSD K9 handler Lieutenant Kieth Schmalz to write the foreword. You can learn more about K9 Heroes or purchase the book through paypal on the K9 heroes website at www.dogloverssite.com.

Foreword by SSD Lt. Kieth Schmalz
As a former Police Service Dog (K-9) handler I have many stories to tell. I have often wished that someone would write a book about the job that K-9 teams do, and the service that they provide to the communities where they are assigned.

Dr. Mayfield’s book, K-9 Heroes: 60 True Stories of Love and Obedience, Courage and Heroism has done just that. The book is a compilation of short stories depicting nearly all aspects of the K-9 and how they are deployed by law enforcement agencies in the United States and Canada.

With the number of Police Service Dogs being fielded in the world today, the events depicted in this book are being repeated almost every minute of every day. As you are reading the book, somewhere there is a K-9 team looking for a lost child, apprehending a felony suspect, taking dangerous drugs off the street, locating explosives, or laying it on the line in a life and death situation.

These men and women, along with their K-9 partners, do their job because they know the value of the service they provide. They know they are preventing crimes and saving lives, and they love what they are doing.

The fact that the stories in this book are all true is an incredible testimony to the dedication of the law enforcement K-9 handler, the strength and courage of the police K-9 dog, and the tremendous bond that exists between them.

I have spent 29 years in law enforcement, and I have worked in a wide variety of jobs in that capacity. None of those jobs, or any other in my life was as exciting or rewarding as the ten plus years I spent working in the K-9 unit. My experience made me realize how graphically and clearly Jim Mayfield has brought forth, through the stories in his book, the wonderful talents, the complete love and obedience, that the K-9 has for his handler, and the valuable asset the K-9 is to each and every Sheriff’s Department, Police Department, Highway Patrol, and Border Patrol Unit.

During my time in the K-9 Unit, I remember going to work at night thinking that I had the best job in the world. With my K-9 partner at my side I felt that we were nearly invincible. I knew there were bad guys out there that could defeat me, and that there were bad guys out there that could defeat the dog, but the two of us together were unbeatable.

Many times the mere presence of the dog would defuse situations that had the potential for violence or injury. Suspects are not always intimidated by a human officer with a gun and a badge. Suspects know that the officer has to follow certain rules, and that he has to react to what actions they take. This gives the suspect the advantage in many cases.

That advantage disappears when you add a trained K-9 to the mix. The dog’s senses and natural instincts are so acute that they can literally “smell trouble” before anything actually happens.

Many an individual has been deterred from taking foolish actions when faced with an aggressively barking 90 pound package of muscle, skill, and determination.
Fleeing is not a viable option because of the dog’s ability to pursue, track, search, and locate wanted subjects under almost any conditions. I’m sure you have heard the old saying, ” You can run, but you can’t hide!” This is particularly true when the K-9 is involved.

There is no way to accurately quantify how many lives these K-9s save. Or any way to know how many tons of illegal drugs they prevent from reaching the streets. I know personally of individual dogs that have been involved in hundreds of criminal apprehensions, and others that have recovered hundreds of pounds of illegal drugs. And they have done this during short careers that frequently are no more than four to six years.

If you multiply this by the thousands of working dogs active in our communities, the numbers become mind-boggling. If even one of those criminals, or one ounce of cocaine or other harmful drugs is kept away from my child or yours, the dog who made this happen is my friend for life.

Just like people, K-9 dogs don’t work all the time. When they are not on duty they, like their handlers, enjoy their time off. They, for the most part, live at home with their families. They enjoy walks in the park, rides to the store in the back seat of the family car, chasing a ball all over the back yard, and playing with kids, and just being a dog.

All K-9s possess a soft side to their temperament that makes them trustworthy around children and strangers alike. Without that quality they would not have been chosen to serve as K-9 law enforcement deputies or officers. This is what makes them so very special.

Not every story in Jim’s book involves tragedy or loss. One even salutes the tremendous community support given a 22 month-old K-9 in Duluth, Minnesota who had become blinded by cataracts.

Many of the stories are glorious adventures, at least to the K-9 involved in the incident. Some stories have somewhat humorous results, unless you happen to be the bad guy.

Whether you have an interest in law enforcement, love dogs, or just enjoy reading, I strongly recommend this book. Dr. Mayfield’s book is not fiction based on fact. It is not a novel created with names, dates, and locations changed to protect the innocent. This book is the actual raw events told by the people who were there to witness the heroic and sometimes tragic events as they unfolded. I know whereof I speak, because I lost my beloved partner, K-9 Billy to an assassin’s bullets. How, I wondered, could such a small weapon as a .22 caliber pistol take the life of my beloved Billy?

The true stories in Jim’s book are stories of heroism, courage, and sacrifice. The magnificent K-9, that is a law enforcement officer in his own right, whether a Sheriff’s Deputy or a Police Officer, is a blessing to us all. Read and enjoy these stories as I have. Cruise in your imagination with the K-9 patrols and never, I say never, forget our Guardians of the Night.

Thank you Dr. Mayfield, for pulling these marvelous stories together for us to enjoy and to gain inspiration from. You have my personal gratitude and respect.