Ozzy (Muncie’s new police dog, not the rocker) arrives

The K-9 police dog purchased by heavy metal rocker Ozzy Osbourne and his son, Jack, made his way to Muncie last week to spend time with his partner, Muncie Police Sgt. Jay Turner, and train on the streets of Muncie.

“Jack and Ozzy sure came through for the department,” Turner said. “The Osbourne family, they donated the money for the dog without even thinking about it, they just did it, which was very nice.”

Turner received two checks in the mail just a few weeks ago. Both Ozzy and Jack gave the same amount: $4,500.

Jack Osbourne became a good friend to Muncie police after he spent time in the city as a reserve officer during the filming of the CBS reality television series Armed in Famous in 2006. He’s kept in touch with other officers and earlier this year convinced his father to help buy the department a police dog to replace an aging K-9 officer.

“Obviously with all the cuts in the city, (getting a new dog) is something that hasn’t been on a front burner for us,” Police Chief Deb Davis said. “When I found out that Ozzy and Jack had agreed to pick up the tab I was a little surprised…it’s kind of neat.”

The money Jack and Ozzy donated is more than enough.

Turner purchased the dog for $8,000 — $1,000 less than most K-9s because Ozzy is only partially trained. Turner is doing the rest himself, and the extra thousand will go into the K-9 budget for food and care for Ozzy and the MPD’s two other K-9 dogs.

Rover, Turner’s 13-year-old partner of nine years, was part of that crew before his recent retirement.

Now, he’ll live at home with Turner and his family, something they all find bittersweet.

“We knew it was time for Rover to retire, but kind of sad for him to retire, but happy that he’ll be home with us more.” Turner’s wife, Dawn, said last Tuesday when the Turner family met Ozzy at the former MPD horse barn just south of the downtown YMCA.

There, the family spent time getting acquainted with Ozzy, who will be living with them for years to come. Turner asked his family to help him give Ozzy a bath, a method used to bond with the dog.

“Giving him a bath, feeding him for the first time, doing things like that is part of the bonding process with the dog,” Turner said.

Turner also practiced apprehensions using a decoy, his daughter’s boyfriend, Aaron Brooks. Training continued throughout the week. On Sunday, Turner took Ozzy to Tuhey Park for training in tracking, as well as the old city parking garage on Washington Street for more apprehension training.

Tracking is used to find missing persons or suspects. The dog learns to pick up the scent of the person. Indiana State Police Senior Trooper Shawn Cosgrove, who helped Turner with the training, said he’s seen a dog track a scent that was two years old.

“The tracking is the only thing he didn’t have. So, what we’re doing now is we’re starting Ozzy off at the very (beginning), like what the green dogs start out, with the very beginning of tracking,” Turner said. “From there we’ll do basic building searches and we’re just starting showing him the way I want him to search.”

Turner expects Ozzy, though he’s still learning, to do well at the police department.

“Ozzy is a very young dog and has a lot of puppy in him…he’s willing to go and work a lot, and he works really fast,” Turner said.

BY Kelly Day

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