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Cecil police K-9 retires; new one joining force

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Diesel, a 13-month-old German shepherd, is the latest addition to the Cecil Township Police Department. Officer Jeffrey Holt is his handler.

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From left, Tyler, 9, Conner, 6, Brenda and Jeffrey Holt are family to two K-9 dogs, Miner and Diesel. Miner retired Oct. 21 after eight years of service, and Diesel is several weeks into a training program.

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Ava Lauderbaugh, 8, is shown with Diesel at the Cecil Township Police Department shortly after his arrival. Ava gave the dog his name.

Cecil Township Police Department is saying goodbye to the four-legged member who has been part of the force for the last eight years, and it will be welcoming a new canine.

Miner, a 9-year-old German shepherd who joined the force in August 2008 as partner to Officer Jeffrey Holt, retired Oct. 21, Miner will be enjoying life as a family pet with Holt, his wife, Brenda, and their two sons, Conner and Tyler.

Two days after Miner’s retirement, Holt was teamed up with Diesel. He and the 13-month-old German shepherd are about two weeks into an expected 10-week training program with master trainer Pat Maloney. Both Miner and Diesel were bred in the Czech Republic and purchased through Shallow Creek Kennel in Mercer County. They try to match a dog and officer so they bond as a team, Holt said.

Holt said he noticed Miner slowing down over the past year and advised police Chief Shawn Bukovinsky.

“Miner has arthritis in his back from wear and tear of the job,” Holt said. “I was concerned that he would get injured on the job. God forbid that he suffered an injury that could have been career- or possibly life-ending. And we are happy to have him home with our family.

“He still wants to work,” he added. “He stands at the top of the stairs and barks when I leave at 6 a.m. with Diesel for training.”

Holt said Miner had an impressive career, going on countless searches for suspects or missing people. In April, Miner tracked a suspect in a North Strabane Township robbery through the woods to a nearby home.

Miner also was injured almost three years ago when he was hit by a vehicle on Morganza Road after he tracked a suspect for almost seven miles through the woods from where a stolen vehicle was ditched on Muse-Bishop Road near Route 50 in Cecil. Holt said the two would go wherever they were needed, helping departments not only in Washington County but Allegheny County.

Miner and other K-9s also would go into schools and search for contraband as part of training exercises. Holt said Miner was part of teams that searched South Fayette High School the week he retired.

As part of drug searches with the federal Drug Enforcement Agency, state police and local police, Miner was responsible for close to a million dollars in drug forfeitures, Holt said.

Diesel was purchased for the department by Mike Lauderbaugh of Cecil and his 8-year-old daughter, Ava. The second-grade student at Hills-Hendersonville Elementary School named Diesel after seeing his photograph and telling her dad “he looked like a Diesel.”

Lauderbaugh said he wanted to give back to the community, and made the donation for the purchase of the police dog after talking with his daughter, who is an animal lover and hopes to become a veterinarian.

“I try to support the police because it is a great group and I appreciate what they do. Police take a bad rap,” Lauderbaugh said. “My daughter and I talked about making the donation. She loved the idea.”

Bukovinsky said the department is happy to be able to continue the K-9 program. He said Miner was one of the first multi-purpose K-9s in the county thanks to Consol Energy. The company purchased the dog, paid for his training and bought a vehicle for the K-9 team.

Holt said Diesel has come a long way in just two weeks of training. Diesel will be getting his commands in German. Miner got his commands in Czech.

A reception will be held from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday in the large meeting room of the township building, 3599 Millers Run Road (Route 50). Residents will be able to thank Miner and meet Diesel, Bukovinsky said.

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