Kids' book focuses on sheriff's dog, handler:"Search and Rescue Dog Heroes,"

Available at Amazon for $23.93.  for ages 9-12, 48 pages, 2010.

January 7, 2011  source    By TOM HOWELL JR.

NEWTON -- Sussex County Sheriff's Lt. Mitch Ellicott and his dog, Blaze, have a special bond. In fact, they're coworkers.  Blaze is one of several German shepherds that Ellicott has worked alongside in the department's K-9 Unit, a vital resource for tracking down missing persons or suspects, sniffing out drugs and helping officers make arrests.  Ellicott and one of his former dogs, Radar, are front and center in a new children's book titled "Search and Rescue Dog Heroes," part of a six-part series of books on working dogs by author Linda Bozzo, of Piscataway.  Bozzo's book opens with a tense episode involving a missing Byram teen who went out for a bike ride in the woods. Unmarked trails and dwindling sunlight left the boy lost and helpless, but a cell phone call for help and Radar's reliable nose provided a happy ending to the ordeal.  The book, which includes photographs of Ellicott and Radar on the job, also delves into the rich history of search and rescue dogs, their usefulness in major catastrophes such as the Oklahoma City bombing and terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, as well as the dogs' training and day-to-day activities.

Bozzo approached then-Sheriff Robert E. Untig about the book about two years ago, leading to extensive interviews with Ellicott.Growing up in Vernon, Ellicott would often interact with the township police department's K-9 handlers, sparking a personal interest in the field. He seized the opportunity as a Sussex County sheriff's officer in 1991, when the department obtained a German shepherd, Rebel, from a Morris County Sheriff's Department handler who had been called to duty in Desert Storm.Since then, Ellicott has worked with Viper, Radar and Gunny (from Officer Christopher Bork, who transferred to the Stanhope Police Department), some of them simultaneously.Ellicott now has Blaze, who came from the Seeing Eye program in Morris County. Although not all dogs are suitable for leading the blind, dogs that leave the esteemed Morristown program are terrific for the K-9 Unit, according to Ellicott.Ellicott and Blaze are joined by Officer Warren Slahor, with his dog Eggo, and Officer Kiernan McMorrow, with Atlas, in the county sheriff's K-9 Unit. The dogs live with their handlers and, when necessary, are kept in kennels at the department.Blaze used to be called Nate by his previous owners, but Ellicott worked with an officer with the same name and didn't want to have any confusion on calls. Instead, he chose the name Blaze because the dog can recognize and respond to the long A-vowel sound in both names.Although bloodhounds, golden retrievers and Labrador retrievers are also associated with search and rescue, the Sussex County department only uses German shepherds. The department typically purchases and trains the dogs at about 11/2 to 2 years old and has them work until they are no longer able to do the job or to pass their twice-a-year certification tests.The dogs are certified through tests outlined by the state attorney general, although the department's own criteria have "upped the ante on a lot of it," according to Ellicott.The sheriff's handlers train their dogs in realistic situations, such as the woods of rural Sussex County, instead of just a football field. An example of training consists of "setting a track," or having a person walk between specified start and end points, and allowing the dog to pick up the scent.For the book, Ellicott took Bozzo out into the field -- first with Radar, then with Blaze -- to show her the dogs' skills."I was surprised at how quickly they learn the things they are taught to do," Bozzo said.According to Bozzo's book, search and rescue dogs should be large enough to handle rough terrain, yet small enough to be handled. They must be smart and obedient, have climbing, jumping and balancing skills, love to work long hours, and be at-ease among people.Search and rescue dogs can follow a human scent left in the air or along the ground, according to the book. Some dogs bark when they find their target, or some go back to their handler and conduct a "refind."Bozzo, 48, frequently visits schools and libraries in conjunction with her books. She started writing for children about 10 years ago. Many of her books are about animals -- the publisher assigns the topics -- but she has two joke books coming out early this year."I loved to read and write, and when my kids were younger, I was re-introduced to children books," she said."Search and Rescue Dog Heroes" was released Sept. 1 from Enslow Publishers in Berkeley Heights, although it is listed as copyright in 2011. The book, which can be found at libraries or online retailers such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble's website, is dedicated to Ellicott and in memory of Radar.Radar was purchased at the West Milford Animal Shelter, one of multiple sites that have built up a relationship of trust with the sheriff's department, according to Ellicott. The dog's name is self-explanatory, because he did the same thing as radar -- find things.Ellicott's dogs have lived to be an average of 10 years old before passing away from natural causes. Although he cannot speak for other handlers, Ellicott said he always accompanies his dogs on their last ride, until their last breath."It's agonizing," Ellicott said. "My family takes it hard, I take it hard."

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