Honoring Service Dogs

Our Wall of Heroes

At Wasatch Hollow Animal Hospital we want to honor service dogs in Ogden and all our nation’s war and law enforcement dogs and their handlers – past, present and future.

As you walk into our lobby you will find portraits of four-legged and human patriots on the Wall of Heroes.

If you know a Hero you would like to honor on this wall, please email a high resolution photo with their names and description of their brave acts to FamilyPetMedicalCare@gmail.com.

After coming to his new forever home with Sergeant Boyle, Ranger quickly started training to use his nose to aid law enforcement officers. At 12 weeks old Ranger began coming to work every day to start training. At 9 months old Ranger and Sergeant Boyle traveled to Missouri for an 8-week-long intense basic trailing course. The course hosted canine teams and trainers from around the country. For the 8 weeks canine teams trained every day for 12-14 hours a day. It was during this course that by fluke Sergeant Boyle discovered what reward Ranger wanted to work for. Some dogs work for a toy, the chance to play with their favorite tug, or a simple dog treat. The uncanny and witty Ranger showed that he simply wanted to work for an Oreo cookie.

After successfully completing the trailing course in Missouri, Ranger continued weekly training to hone his skills. He quickly made believers out of the most skeptical officers. As he continued to prove how valuable he was, officers began to buy Oreo cookies to have on hand in the event Ranger was called on to help. There were countless successful tracks where officers would be working towards arresting the suspect, while other officers would be slipping the jubilant Ranger Oreos from their cargo pockets.

Ranger was trained as a single-purpose dog, and his sole job was to locate humans. He was not trained to physically apprehend suspects or locate illegal narcotics. Because of this Ranger was able to deploy on any type of search, including for missing children and elderly adults. During tracks for dangerous individuals, Ranger became well versed in deploying alongside a patrol apprehension canine team. During these deployments, Ranger would lead the way until officers closed in on the person then allow the patrol canine to move up and assist with the arrest.

During his career Ranger located 83 people who were arrested, and 6 missing children. Added together he tracked over 173 miles of distance during his 185 deployments. Training occurred weekly throughout his career, and Ranger covered over 900 miles during these exercises. He participated in over 120 community events and public demonstrations, where his floppy ears and quirky personality were an instant attraction to nearly everyone who saw him. Together Sergeant Boyle and Ranger had the opportunity to meet and work with some incredible canine teams.

Ranger located everything from homicide suspects, to children who had been missing for several hours. He tracked through extremely cold temperatures and the sweltering heat of the summer. His longest successful track covered almost 8 miles. He assisted nearly every agency in Davis, Salt Lake, and Weber Counties. His successes proved him to be a valuable asset to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, where he deployed on some very challenging cases. Ranger proved he could succeed when even helicopters didn’t. He quickly gained a reputation as the dog that was called for the most demanding tracks. The successes Ranger had helped other agencies add bloodhounds to their canine program.

As Ranger transitions into retirement, he is slowly adjusting to the slower pace of life. He still gets excited when he hears sirens or the channel marker on the police radio. He occasionally gets to hang out at the police department and sleep on the office couch. While tracking has always been fun for Ranger, the role he had was a very serious responsibility. The impact he had on the community and the law enforcement officers he worked with is immeasurable.