Midnight ready for retirement

By Thomas Nelson, tnelson@charlescitypress.com

Midnight will be retiring from the Charles City Police Department and go from sniffing for drugs to chasing squirrels.

Midnight joined the force in 2009 and has worked and lived with his handler, Officer Zach Eckenrod, ever since.

Eckenrod will have the option to purchase Midnight for $1, after the Charles City Council approved that opportunity Monday night.

Midnight came to Charles City through a “Jenny’s Heroes” grant from talk show host Jenny Jones that Charles City Police Chief Hugh Anderson applied for in 2009. The department was awarded $6,000.

“(She) called us and surprised us here,” Anderson said about Jones. “I actually didn’t know she was calling.”

The city purchased Midnight for $5,000 and used the other $1,000 for incidental expenses like a cage in the squad car, Anderson said.

Eckenrod said the city made arrangements to get the dog in September 2009, and he went to pick him up in October when his training was finished.

Midnight came from Midwest Canine, which gets its dogs mainly from rescue shelters, Eckenrod said.

“After I got Midnight I had to go back down to train with Midnight for another four months or so, until we were familiar,” he said. The training is to familiarize the trainer with the dog, and the dog with the trainer.

Midnight is a single-purpose narcotics dog. He is a mostly black Lab mix.

“Basically we train and then if we need to go do a search on a car or a house we do a search on a car or a house,” Eckenrod said.

Midnight is getting set to retire soon because of arthritis in his hip and right knee.

“He really can’t work,” Eckenrod said.

While Eckenrod and Midnight work together, they also live together and play together. Eckenrod is as much owner as co-worker to Midnight.

“It’s just like having a dog, except you bring him to work with you,” Eckenrod said. “It’s like taking your pet to work.”

Midnight is much like a regular dog during off hours, playing games with chew toys and snatching stuffed animals off desks.

“He’s got one of those rubber frisbees and one those rubber dumbbell balls,” Eckenrod said.

Eckenrod and Midnight work the same hours and shifts.

“Sometimes there’s long nights, and short turn-around,” Eckenrod said. “Mostly when I’d work he’d be up in the car moving around, but sometimes on those long nights he’d be sleeping in the back.”

Most of Midnight’s food was donated anonymously from someone from PAWs in Charles City. There is also a woman in Charles City who donates $100 every year for Midnight as a Christmas gift.

“She’s been doing that pretty much since we’ve had him,” Eckenrod said.

The Charles City Council unanimously voted in favor of selling Midnight to Eckenrod  for $1.

“It’s a pretty common thing,” said Charles City Council member Michael Hammond. “This is more than just partners, this is family.”

Charles City Council member Dan Mallaro called it the easiest vote he’s ever taken part of.

So far there hasn’t been a decision on whether the city will be buying a new dog for the Charles City Police Department to replace Midnight.