A strong nose knows what to look for, and the strongest sniffer belongs to Erika. Campus Police Chief Joe Kelley knows this energetic dog better than anyone.
“She just turned 7 years old,” he said. “She did two tours in Iraq and has bomb-dog training. She’ll do firearms, shell casings, and any explosive material. The military picked her up in Hungary as a puppy. She’s a pure Shepherd, even though her colors don’t look it.”
Erika Note: “I’m more qualified than most humans!”
Kelley said that before he got her, Erika was on the go non-stop.
“Before, she was in a kennel with other dogs around her. That whining would be barking, and she’d be spinning in a cage because she just wants to go,” he said.
Erika Note: “I have the best zoomies! You can’t contain this energy in a cage.”
With her experience in bomb detecting and independent attitude, Erika was an interesting challenge for Kelley. At first, the training was difficult, but after all this time, they’ve come to trust each other.
“In September, it will be three years. In the beginning, it was her training me,” Kelley said. “She’s the first dog that I’ve had. I had been around the canine world when I was with the Sheriff’s Office. “I’ve never been an actual handler before, so I had someone coming in, and I went to school for handler training.”
Erika Note: “I was a patient teacher, and after a long time I can proudly say Chief Kelley was a good student of the Erika School for Humans.”
At first, many students gave Kelley worried looks as he patrolled with Erika due to the unfortunate negative perception of an active patrolling officer with a K9 unit.
To Kelley and Erika, their walks were routine, but sometimes people assume the worst when they see any form of patrolling canine. In these past years, however, the community has grown accustomed to Erika’s patrols as she dutifully sniffs around the campus.
“She’s more of a guard dog than a patrol dog,” Kelley said. “When we first got her, she scared people. If I walked into a dorm, people would quickly scatter. But now, I trust her a lot more and let people pet her. In Rocky Mount, I’ll get her out and let the kids pet her, but I’m always reading her to see if she’s had enough. When she’s overstimulated, it’s time to go.”
Erika Note: “I enjoy all the attention, but there’s too much of a good thing sometimes.”
Unlike most dogs with bomb-sniffing training, Erika has a more active role in alerting Kelley to any potential danger.
“Most of them (bomb dogs) will sit down when they alert,” Kelley said. “No noise. no nothing. She’s aggressive; she will go to barking real quick, especially if I don’t acknowledge that she just sat down and try to make her move. She’ll get mad and start barking at me. I think its funny, and other people are like, ‘Oh my God. It’s scary.’ But she didn’t fight me; she just let me know.”
Erika Note: “I take my job very seriously, Dad!
She challenges Kelley everyday as a strong-willed police dog who is happily dedicated to her role. Look out for this energetic German Shepard across campus.
