Youngsters make friends
with Freehold’s K-9 cop
By clare MARie celano
Staff Writer
FARRAH MAFFAI Thomas Casiero (r, counterclockwise), 6, Paige O’Boyle, 7, Samantha Goldberg, 5, and Taylor Balakas, 5, Freehold Township, all students at the Bright Horizons Day Care Center, gather around Max, the Freehold Borough K-9 officer. The children collected money to help purchase Max’s successor.
FREEHOLD — Freehold Borough’s K-9 officer Max has a whole new crop of friends — and they’re all under 6 years old.
Youngsters at the Bright Horizons Early Care and Education Center at CentraState Medical Center, Freehold Township, not only became pals with Max, they have been on a mission to help support the cost of Max’s successor.
According to Max’s partner, Patrolman Michael Sweetman, Max will need to retire from his duties as the borough’s K-9 police officer by the end of this year due to a medical condition that affects his limb muscles.
"He has what is called fibrotic myopathy," Sweetman explained, a condition that creates scar tissue which grows over the muscles and robs the dog of his mobility.
"It is rare in house dogs, it happens mostly in horses and sport dogs as well as police dogs," he said. "It’s caused by the wear and tear on the limbs from the rigorous work he does. It’s tough to watch though. Even though his mobility is affected, there is no pain, so in Max’s mind he can still work just as he has always done."
According to Kim Casiero, director of the day care center, the children first met the police team in April when Sweetman and Max participated in what she referred to as a "celebrity literacy program."
The program, which is designed to encourage children to read, was enjoyed by the youngsters and the two police officers.
Casiero said the children were quite taken with Max and enjoyed sitting with him as Sweetman read his story.
The officer said he brought along his own book, P.D. Eastman’s, Go Dog Go, a book he felt was an appropriate selection for the occasion.
Sweetman said the children sat around in a semicircle while Max curled up next to him and listened to Eastman’s canine tale as well. The children were quite excited, and after the reading they asked Sweetman numerous questions about Max and about his police work.
The officer said he told the children about his work and in particular, about Max’s duties and his responsibilities on the police force.
The question-and-answer period included an explanation and "show and tell" of all the police equipment that Sweetman must wear every day, such as his flashlight, gun and handcuffs.
"I told the children about Max’s part in narcotics operations and how he is trained to work at tracking criminals, too," he said.
Casiero said some children, like her 5-year-old son Thomas, were so impressed with the duo that he’s decided he’s going to be a "K-9 cop" when he grows up.
The director said she took numerous picture of "Mike and Max" with her pupils and created a giant poster which now hangs in the classroom, a remainder of the fun as well as the education they all received the day the Freehold Borough cops came to visit.
The children even sent the officers a giant thank-you card with their names and fingerprints on it.
Casiero said she received a letter from Sweetman in May explaining that Max was due to retire from his duties as a police officer because his medical condition is affecting his work performance and, more importantly, is putting a strain on his body.
The letter, which was also sent to other organizations and businesses, requested financial assistance so the police department can buy a new K-9 officer after Max retires.
Thomas Casiero took the letter to heart and started his own collection for the dog at home. Starting off with his own $5 bill, he asked his mom if he could bring the bank to school and have the other children help out.
Casiero agreed and credits her son completely for the fund-raising idea that, between students and parents, raised more than $100.
The clear plastic cylinder, topped with photos of "Mike and Max," sat on a table in the classroom and over the course of a few weeks it was filled with pennies and coins from the children and their families who wanted to help start the ball rolling for the purchase of a new dog for the borough’s police force.
Casiero said that in early June, Sweetman and Max came to visit again and were given the contributions totaling $102.
More pictures were taken and more memories were made as the children enthusiastically gave Sweetman their hard-earned cash.
Later, Sweetman said that although the German shepherd is still hard at work, Max’s condition will most likely worsen and he will need to stop police work soon.
Max has been with the Freehold Borough Police Department for two years. He will be 7 in August.
According to Sweetman, the average life span of a patrol dog is between 7 and 10 years, whereas a "scent" dog will usually live 10 to 12 years.
Sweetman said that if anyone is interested in contributing to the K-9 cop fund they may send a check to the police department in care of Chief Michael Beierschmitt, 40 Jackson St., Freehold 07728.
Sweetman asked that checks be labeled "K-9 unit" on the memo line.