Seven-year-old Ethan Engum has a big heart and a love for dogs. When he grows up, he wants to be a K-9 handler, according to his mom.
"First we got a dog and I started reading German Shepherd books, and then I read about the police dogs and I wanted to meet one," explained Ethan.
Ethan soon did meet one: K-9 George and his handler, Officer Derek Wicklund, with the Green Bay Police Department.
That's when Ethan learned about Cops, a K-9 officer who died from medical issues last week.
"He went home very upset, wanted to do something," said Ethan's mom Becky Engum.
That something, Ethan decided, would be to raise money for a new K-9 officer through a GoFundMe page. Cops was the department's only bomb dog, and now they desperately need another.
"Every officer in this building is talking about what an incredible young man this is," said Green Bay Police Chief Andrew Smith.
That young man has dreams of becoming a K-9 handler himself. Last week, Green Bay Police invited him to attend one of their K-9 training sessions.
"With everything going on today, for him to step up and say that he wants to follow in our footsteps, it's awesome," said Officer Wicklund.
Ethan's goal is to raise $12,000. As of Tuesday night, he had reached nearly $5,000. To help him reach his goal, visit his GoFundMe here: https://www.gofundme.com/29mj5wcc
Cops' former handler, Officer Fred Laitinen, released a statement this week after meeting Ethan and learning about his efforts. The statement is below:
On Monday, August 22, I said good bye to my best friend. Cops, was a four-year-old Belgian Malinois who was trained in patrol operations and explosive detection. Since taking his leash in Albuquerque, New Mexico on March 10, 2014, he has never spent a day away from me.
Cops was very large for a Malinois, but yet he was sleek in build, extremely fast, and carried himself in a regal manner. Many know what it is like to have a dog, but few know what a special thing it is to handle a working dog. A working dog has an abundance of energy—what we refer to as drive. Because of this drive, working dogs constantly need to be doing one task or another, which is why they are so well suited for law enforcement applications.
Cops and I were deployed 270 times during our career, which was tragically cut short on Monday. We searched for explosive devices at campaign events, dignitary visits and home Packer Games. We searched buildings, located evidence, tracked, and apprehended suspects. Cops’ presence when encountering persons who presented a threat to officers and/or the community resulted in numerous surrenders.
At work, we were partners and at home, we were family, but regardless of where we were, there was always love. With rare exception, I trained with Cops daily. A bond develops between all dogs and their family, the bond between a working dog and handler goes to the next level.
My life and career has been changed with the loss of Cops. His toys sit on the floor at home. His kennel sits empty. His bowls are on the counter and when I look in the rearview mirror in the squad, he is no longer looking back at me.
It was my privilege to meet a fine young man named Ethan this past Wednesday. Ethan wants to be a canine handler when he grows up. Ethan joined our canine team for training along with some of his family members. Ethan’s mother told me that he was aware of Cops’ passing, yet he shared that Cops would still be with us at training.
Ethan and his family told me they wanted to start to raise funds to help get a replacement for Cops. I am touched and grateful for their support for our Canine Unit, the department, and our community. Ethan is a role model for us all.
I wish to thank the Green Bay Police Department for the opportunity to be a canine handler, which brought Cops into my life. I also wish to extend my thanks to the Green Bay Packer Organization for their generous support, which allowed the department to add Cops as the sixth canine on the team.
I wish to thank my family, the Canine Unit, the department, and the community for the support and encouragement during this very difficult time. I also wish to thank Heather Heil from the Bark and Blue Organization and my fellow canine handlers from Wisconsin, New Mexico, and Ontario, Canada for their unwavering support as I try to cope with this loss.
Finally, thank you Ethan. I hope that one day, you will take the leash of a working dog and begin the adventure of a lifetime.
Officer Fred Laitinen, Green Bay Police Department 8/27/16
