2016 September PASO Magazine

PASO PEOPLE
PASO’S PD HAS A
NEW K-9 UNIT
By Chuck Desmond
Officer Dan Hackett has been with the Paso
Police Department since 1997. ARMEX, the
dog, has been a formidable K-9 beast since 2013.
It takes a special person and a great dog to make
up a K-9 unit. Armex formerly had a Paso police
partner but a few months ago, he elected to
transfer back to his home town and continue
with his police career there.
Armex, however, is property of the Paso
Robles Police Department so he stayed here. All
Armex needed was a new partner!
Let’s start with a bit of history. Paso’s K-9 department
started in 1983. It is a supplemental resource
to the entire organization. The dogs typically
are born and bred in Czechoslovakia and as
such, “Chech is their language.” They learn their
commands and instructions in that language and
that stays with them through their lives.
It takes about 18 months of training and
$10,000 for a community to have a dog ‘make
the grade’ so-to-speak. Obedience is #1 followed
by tracking by scent, awareness and apprehension.
Armex did all that that and he loved his work in
Paso Robles. But, after he lost his partner, and with
no one to take care of him, back to the school he
went while Chief Robert Burton’s organization
searched for a new mate. A K-9 dog has a career
of about seven to eight years before he retires.
Now on with the story.
Officer Hackett had a fondness for dogs ever
since he was a young guy growing up in the Bay
Area. He also had a burning desire to get into
law enforcement and, after graduation and a
couple of jobs, that’s what he did. Dan became
a patrolman in 1994 in Placerville for three
years. During that tenure, he and wife decided
they would like to relocate. The Central Coast in
1997 seemed like a good place to look but as they
went from community to community, none of
them floated their boat – until they came to Paso.
With a population of about 15,000 and maybe a
dozen wineries, the home-town-feel of City Park
and the friendliness of the folks they met, clicked
just right and before the Hacketts returned to
Placerville, Dan put in an application which of
course led to the family moving here. Dan even
got a German Shepherd and self-trained it to
be a police dog but the dog became the family
buddy and Dan became a patrolman, a detective
and a motorcycle officer as he cycled through the
various opportunities in the Paso PD.
In June of this year, the position was posted for
a new K-9 Officer. Both Armex and Dan each
have about four more years before they could
retire so Dan decided he’d like to go for it. He
and his wife weighed the alternatives and with all
four thumbs up, he applied and of course he won.
He really didn’t know Armex very well because
the K-9 dogs lead their lives like an appendage
to their handler. The dogs don’t go to briefings or
staff meetings either so the only real contact was
on an as-needed situation. However, with strong
confidence, on July 1st, Dan was off to meet the
dog and see if they would bond. Sometimes a
dog that loses his partner, will never bond like
By Millie Drum
The American Heart Association is the largest
volunteer health organization dedicated to
defeating the #1 and #5 causes of death - heart
disease and stroke. SLO Heart & Stroke Walk
will be held Saturday, September 10 at the Avila
Beach Promenade & Bob Jones Trail. Bring family,
friends, employees to enjoy a non-competitive
5K walk/run, a Stroke Survivor Miracle Mile, Kids
Zone, Health and Wellness Expo, VIP Tent and
Dan Hackett with Armex
that again. Dan hoped it wouldn’t be that way
and sure enough it wasn’t.
Because the obedience part of the training
had to begin anew, Officer Hackett drove his
squad car to the training campus. He says it almost
brought tears to his eyes when Armex saw
the car that he used to ride in and work out of.
“Armex went nuts –he was so happy! He almost
ripped the door off to get inside and then he
sniffed every square inch of the vehicle to make
sure it was his! I could hardly get him out of
there! He was ready to go to work and it seemed
that I’d do just fine to be his new human!”
Please see K-9 page 30
“Life is Why We Walk”
San Luis Obispo Heart &
Stroke Walk set for Sept. 10
other activities. Registration & Health Fair begins
at 9 a.m.; walk-run begins at 10 a.m.
Register online at www.SLOheartwalk.com to
set up or join a team. Each participant will have
a page for photos, messages, email and social
media outreach. The donations can quickly double
if your company or other donors will match
your fundraising efforts. Contact Heart & Stroke
Walk/Run Director Emily Reneau at 544-1505,
Emily.S.Reneau@heart.org.
Seasons Change.
Will You?
to see what’s
NEW!
Locally owned since 1974
538 12th Street, Paso Robles • 238-5554
www.TheBlendersPasoRobles.com
28 PASO Magazine, September 2016