She couldn’t have been more pleased.
“It was a position that immediately drew my attention, and from then on I wanted to learn as much as I could and be as involved as possible. I grew up with a strong love for animals, and it seemed like the perfect mix,” she said.
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Brazel worked first for the Miami County Sheriff’s Department before joining Tipp City police last year.
Pasha and Brazel have only been on the streets a few weeks but already have been busy. Before their first assignment, though, Pasha joined the Brazel family in May with the two attending several trainings during the summer.
In August, they began the eight-week Ohio State Parks Canine Academy with trainer Jason Lagor. They were trained and certified in narcotics detection, building search and area search, tracking, article search, obedience and criminal apprehension.
Since hitting the streets, Pasha and Brazel have assisted the sheriff’s office on school drug sniff details at the Upper Valley CTC and Bethel High School.
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Pasha’s drug sniff of a vehicle in Tipp City yielded 29.9 grams of suspected crystal meth and 0.3 grams of suspected cocaine. Assisting West Milton police executing a search warrant, Pasha had several alerts and located narcotics and paraphernalia.
Brazel said she wants to be visible in the community, and for people to understand Pasha’s role.
“My goal is to educate the community on the value of having a canine. Pasha is capable of doing things that either officers can’t or don’t have the means, time, etc., to be able to do,” she said.
Brazel said she would like to see Pasha involved for education and public outreach in the schools.
“In my opinion one of the best ways to keep our community safe is by reaching out and educating students on the dangers of drugs and the importance of being aware of your surroundings,” Brazel said. “Pasha is a great tool for that because most people love seeing dogs, especially police dogs, so we can come give talks and educate and Pasha can get some belly rubs, too.”
Pasha’s favorite pastime is a tie between playing ball and chasing chickens at the Brazel home. His favorite treat is carrots, Brazel said.
Contact this contributing writer at nancykburr@aol.com.
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