Officer John Fitz

Officer John Fitz of the Calhoun County Sheriff’s office took possession of a new police dog yesterday. For now he is just referring to it as Joe.

This is not the first police dog Office Fitz has had. A while back, when he first joined the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department he was the first officer to get a police dog.

My, they worked well together, and folks around Calhoun County were always amazed at the way Hanz would behave both in Officer Fitz' car and out of it. Life for Officer Fitz and Hanz became a simple thing and they were always together. If Officer Fitz would get out of his patrol car, 9 times out of 10 you would find Hanz at his side or lying at his feet sleeping as Officer Fitz was having a cup of coffee or lunch at the Bank.

One person made the mistake of thinking that Hanz was really asleep one day, and lived to regret it. They made a move for Officer Fitz and before they got close enough to strike a blow of any kind, Hanz was on top of them growling his first warning.

Officer Fitz does not know if Joe likes hamburgers with unions or not yet but Hanz sure did, If officer Fitz went through the drive-in he had to get Hanz his burger with lots of onion and a cold cup of water to wash it down with. If there were not enough onions on the burger, Hanz would growl to show his displeasure.

More than once Hanz saved Office Fitz from being hurt, and once or twice even found a lost child. But Hanz was a drug sniffing dog and that is what he did best, having one of the best records in the state for capturing and taking control of illegal drugs from their owners.

Unfortunately, life went on and Hanz died one day. After all of the formalities were concluded, Hanz was given a proper funeral and burial in a plot of his own in the Calhoun County Cemetery.

Police Officers from all over the country came to pay there last respects and the line of police cars went on for miles behind the hearse that carried Hanz to his final resting place where Calhoun County Sheriff’s Badge number 598 was laid to rest with it's owner. After a 21 gun salute was rendered and a final walk by of the coffin was done the mourners left the cemetery and Officer Fitz was left alone for one final goodbye and they lowered Hanz into his grave.

It has been 5 years, it took Officer Fitz that long to find the courage and the right dog to take the place of Hanz, after all - they were mighty big paws to fill.

There are those, I guess, that go down to the Calhoun County cemetery and see Hanz' grave and wonder why no last name, who this parson was that lies beneath the tombstone that reads simply, "Hanz, Partner, Friend, Officer."

Makes no difference to Officer Fitz as he knows and visits him often. You see, like people we lose, we also mourn those four-legged partners that stand by us no matter what and are willing to lay their lives down for us, asking only in return that we love them.

Officer Fitz and Joe will be visiting the Calhoun County High School next week for any of those who may wish to drop by and meet him. He's not as big as Hanz, nor has he the patience that Hanz had, but given time I am sure him and Officer Fritz will come to an understanding.

RIP Hanz we all miss you.