Your Carmel Vet Clinic Introduces You To Saka, One Of The Carmel Police Department’s Elite K-9 Dogs

If you appreciate feeling safe in your community and love dogs, then look no further than to the K-9 unit right here in Carmel.  Recently, our Carmel vet clinic had the privilege of meeting Officer Scotty Moore and his K-9 partner, Saka.

Saka, a six year old, pure bred German Shepherd, has been with Officer Moore, the unit K-9 trainer, and the Carmel Police department since 2009 and is dual trained in both narcotics and patrol. Born and trained in Holland, Saka weighs 71 lbs, and was selected for training as a puppy due for possessing the most prized traits of a well trained police dog.  According to Officer Moore, the most important traits of a K-9 dog are “high confidence levels,” a “relentless prey and hunt drive,” and a “sociable & approachable personality.”  When Saka and Officer Moore arrived for their interview, Saka exhibited these traits by circling our Carmel vet clinic (and me!), constantly sniffing and checking the perimeter, never wavering in his role as a K-9 officer. I asked Officer Moore if Saka ever relaxes, and he replied that even when off duty, Saka will “still react” if he finds something and alert Officer Moore.  I held out my hand to pet him, and even though he briefly walked up to sniff my hand, that aloof, yet approachable, behavior wouldn’t allow him to be overly friendly while on duty. The intensity and beauty of a working K-9 dog is mesmerizing  to watch as long as you’re not doing anything to arouse his suspicions, of course! Saka is trained in “Passive Alert”, which means he will sit in front of the area if he smells drugs or narcotics. While his bite certainly falls within the average 800-1200lbs of pressure, and one he will use if necessary to bring a suspect down, more often than not he utilizes the Passive Alert technique while on the job.

Officer Moore stated that Saka’s best month on the force so far was in April of this year, where he was responsible for three separate arrests. He found and held a battery suspect, as well as two other separate theft suspects. Officer Moore is clearly very proud of his partner and loves talking about his dog and the great job he does for the Carmel Police K-9 unit. According to him, a K-9 dog costs at least $12,000 to raise, train, feed, and provide regular veterinary exams, but  Saka is worth every penny  as a valued member of the  police force dedicated to keeping us safe. There are 16 K-9 unit dogs in Hamilton County  who do work together occasionally, but Saka primarily works alone with Officer Moore.

When asked what Saka does after a long day on patrol, officer Moore replied, “Saka loves playing with Officer Moore’s daughter and the family dog, a female Bichon Frise. With a smile, Officer Moore added, “and believe it or not, our little Bichon is the one in charge of the two dogs, nipping at his heels and bossing Saka around most if the time!” Whoever is in charge at the end of the day, it’s at the beginning of each day as Officer Moore puts the last touches on his uniform and heads for the door that there’s no doubt who is in charge and on alert…and that is Saka, ready to go to work for his handler and our community.  Our Carmel vet clinic would like to thank both Officer Moore, and Saka, for spending a little time with us and giving us the opportunity to learn more about the elite K-9 police dogs.

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