Lovell and Ciro were matched together based on their personalities, township officials said.
During training, the handlers work on obedience, bite work, tracking and focus on repetition.
“It’s exciting to see the dogs progress over six weeks,” Lovell said.
Training doesn’t stop now that Ciro is on duty. He continues to practice the skills he learned, along with his fellow West Chester canine officers.
“He is trained for narcotics, handler protection and tracking,” Lovell said. “Ninety percent of the calls are narcotics.”
Lovell said he enjoys working with canines as part of his job.
“There is a sense of accomplishment, looking at the dog over 10 years and knowing what they’re doing,” Lovell said. “Not many people in their career can say that.”
Ciro is the third canine assigned to the West Chester Police Department, and he is the second canine for Lovell, who was previously the handler of Canto, a dog who died earlier this year.
The police department’s canine unit has been in existence since 1993.
West Chester Police Chief Joel Herzog said canine officers are a valuable law enforcement resource for the community.
“These four-legged officers have incredible abilities and strength to track and subdue suspects when necessary, including the capability to gain entry to places not always accessible to human officers,” Herzog said. “And of course, their sense of smell is incredibly beyond that of a human’s, making it possible for them to locate even small amounts of well-hidden, illegal drugs.”