with Michael Sweetman
as former K-9 Max retires
Remmy joins department
with Michael Sweetman
as former K-9 Max retires
By clare marie celano
Staff Writer
CLARE MARIE CELANO Freehold Borough Patrolman Michael Sweetman is teaming up with his new K-9 partner Remmy. Sweetman’s former partner Max retired due to a medical condition and is living in the borough.
FREEHOLD — Everyone knows cops are a tough breed, but that doesn’t mean certain situations don’t cause them pain and sadness.
Things like losing their partner, for instance — even if that partner weighs 86 pounds and is covered with black fur.
Freehold Borough police officer Michael Sweetman retired his K-9 partner Max this month and although new K-9 officer Remmy is on the payroll, so to speak, Max remains more than just a memory to the officer who teamed up with the Netherlands shepherd almost three years ago.
The bond between a police officer and a K-9 partner carries with it the emotional attachment only those who have owned a pet can fully understand and relate to. The K-9 officer lives with his partner, so the bond is established early. Therefore, when the two must be separated for whatever reason, it hurts.
Sweetman said he has not seen Max, who retired due to a medical condition and now lives with a borough resident, because it is "easier" on the dog and "less painful" to him.
"When I would put on my uniform each day, Max knew it was time to go to work," explained Sweetman. "It’s what he was trained to do. If he saw me getting ready for work now and I was not taking him with me, he would think he’d done something wrong."
The officer likened the loss of his former partner to a natural progression of life cycles. Referring to the trainer who imported Max for the department and who also raised Remmy from a pup until he was 3 years old, Sweetman said he knows how Schutzhund Sport Club trainer Donna Leibowitz feels now.
Sweetman said Leibowitz had grown very attached to Remmy over the three years he was in her care.
"But he had too much drive for the club competition," the officer explained. "She knew he would never reach his potential and searched for a way that he would. Police work was the answer. She was heartbroken to have to give him up, but she knew that he’d be happier doing police work. That’s how I feel about Max."
Max was retired because of a muscle condition called fibrotic myopathy which limited the range of motion in his limbs and therefore restricted his ability to perform his duties. His duties included criminal apprehension, building searches, area searches, article searches and tracking.
Sweetman explained that originally most dogs, like Max, are imported from Europe or, like Remmy, are descended from European sport dogs, which are bred to compete in activities that mimic police work.
The shepherd is the most commonly used breed of dog for K-9 officers due to its temperament, work ethic, intelligence and ability to "bite and hold."
Remmy will be used to help track criminals, make drug raids and search buildings for hidden narcotics. He will also be in attendance in times of civil disobedience if officers are overwhelmed and need assistance.
But Remmy will not spend all his time casing buildings for drugs and chasing bad guys. He will also act as a positive force in the community, attending DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) programs and making visits to district schools for other programs.
Sweetman said one of the biggest rewards of having a K-9 partner is seeing the reaction of children and adults to the dog.
"When people see me walking alone, they may come up and say hello, but when I have the dog, they always come up and say hi and pet the dog," the officer said.
Right now, Remmy lives with Sweetman. He spends most of his time in the back yard. The officer said research has shown that K-9 dogs perform better if they are somewhat isolated from family life.
"He knows when he sees me in my uniform and I come to open that gate, it’s time to go to work and he heads straight for the police car," the officer said.
Although Sweetman admits he misses having Max by his side, he’s confident he will bond in much the same way with the sable-and-black-colored, 80-pound Remmy, and continue to help make the streets of Freehold Borough a safer place to be.