Enzo ready for action

​By Dave Merchant [email protected]
 
The Allen Park Police Department has a new K-9 unit who is ready for action. The new dog is named Enzo and he is handled by Officer Christopher Franco.
“We got him in the end of October,” Franco said. “We have had him for three months and he passed his initial certification which he has to do once a year.”
Enzo is 17-month old Germain Sheppard who was purchased from a breeder in Ohio.
Allen Park is a single car city so Enzo will be with Officer Franco at work as well as around him 24/7.
“The dog will always go on patrol with me,” he said. “He is always going to schools and the Boy Scouts. He checks lockers at the high school.”
Other cities like Lincoln Park, Southgate and Wyandotte have K-9 dogs. The communities assist each other with K-9s if one is off or unreachable. They simply call for assistance from other communities.
The Allen Park Police Department takes care of the dog food and veterinary care for the entire life of the officer.
“The hardest part is learning how to read the dog and get the animal to get along with my family,” he said. “They don’t mind being in kennels.”
So be on the lookout for the newest member of the Allen Park Police Force. He loves to meet residents, especially children. Remember he is on the City’s side.
The previous Allen Park K-9 was named Phantom. He passed away from an illness last year. He was also trained by Franco. He was only three and half years old when he died. He had a disease EPI (Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency) which is when the body does not have the right amount of pancreatic enzyme. Phantom’s ashes are in an urn. He is missed by the Franco family who considered him one of their own. He still had treats and food left over from his friend. “He was my four-legged friend,” he said. “He was part of the family and I was his whole life.”
 
 

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