By HOLLY GASKILL
It was a bittersweet ending early Friday morning as Sgt. A.J. Campbell sat in the back of his patrol car with K9 Leo. After working alongside one another at the Wells County Sheriff’s Department for eight years, Campbell ended their final shift together with a radio call for Leo.
Celebrating his 10th birthday this weekend, Leo will enter retirement and life as a civilian dog with Campbell and his wife, Tessa.
“Here’s to living life on the couch and making sure the food in the fridge is good to eat,” Campbell said into his radio. “K-9 Leo, 1042.”
Dispatch returned the call off with a special announcement highlighting Leo’s accomplishments, including completing numerous training hours, being deployed over 1,000 times, recovering evidence, locating drugs and finding missing people. They also emphasized Leo’s impact in connecting law enforcement with the general public through community demonstrations and many “Tongue Out Tuesday” pictures on the WCSD Facebook page. For four years in a row, Leo has been voted “Best Police Officer” in The News-Banner’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards.
“Thank you, K-9 Leo, for your services to Wells County, protecting your fellow officers and making sure your partner, Sgt. A.J. Campbell, made it home safely every night,” dispatch returned. “You have touched the hearts of your coworkers and the citizens of Wells County … Enjoy retirement with family, and get your well-deserved rest — you’ve earned it. Congratulations, and happy 10th birthday, K-9 Leo. Your presence will be greatly missed. K-9 Leo’s final 1042 at 07:07.”
In lieu of confetti, Leo was showered with brand-new tennis balls following the final call. An assortment of local officers, jail staff and dispatchers attended a surprise party for Leo, where he enjoyed his own special cake alongside everybody else.
While the Campbells and Leo have bonded over the years, there are some boundaries in caring for a working dog. For example, Leo has stayed in a kennel separate from the Campbells’ home and in boarding when the couple travels. A.J. said he’s taken the next week off from work to help Leo transition from working and enjoy some rest. Tessa said she’s excited for new opportunities to spoil Leo.
“I’ve trained him since the beginning, we’ve been together all the time,” A.J. Campbell said. “He protected me one time when a guy fought me. We’ve been through a lot of stuff together — that’s what makes this special.”
The WCSD still has one working K-9 on duty, Letty, who began on the force earlier this year with Deputy Alex Monce.
holly@news-banner.com
