MEIK DOG

Meik Von Der Eichendorfschule
Police K-9
"An Officer and a Friend"
May 22, 1984 - February 23, 1997

Meik (pronounced "Mike")  was my first K-9 partner. I got Meik from the Dog Training Center of California, which is where I got Xaros, also. I was attending a K-9 seminar in Odessa and met Johannes Grewe. I knew then I wanted my dog to come from Johannes. I got Meik in May of 1988.

Meik received the lifesaving award when I was a patrol officer - we were called to a major accident; apparently, a teenager who was a passenger in a vehicle sustained a head injury (we could tell from the windshield) but was nowhere to be found. The units on scene called to see if Meik could run a track.

It had actually started raining some (which ruins tracks) but Meik tracked the young man to a yard about 1/2 mile away. He had collapsed in the backyard. If it wasn't for Meik, he probably wouldn't have been found for some time.

The young man recovered and never forgot us. When I would be parked on the roadway or at a convenience store, if he saw us, he would stop, get out and pet Meik, say "Thanks" and drive away.

Meik and I moved to Wise County in 1991. I went to work at Springtown Police Department, but spent my summers as a Camp Director at a local Boy Scout Camp, Sid Richardson Scout Ranch. Meik enjoyed the summers there from 1989-1995. One summer he probably wanted to forget, though - the summer he got sprayed by a skunk!

In early 1997, Meik became ill. The vets were perplexed as to what exactly was wrong with him, as he seemed to have a variety of symptoms. He had an appointment to go to the Animal Diagnostic Clinic to see if they could diagnose him, but passed away quietly in his sleep on February 23, 1997.

Since Meik was a police officer, the flags at City Hall in Springtown were flown at half-mast the day following his death.

Meik was so beloved by the children of Springtown (he made frequent visits to the schools just to let the kids pet him) that the students in the elementary school went without dessert for a week and donated their money to "help me get a new K-9 partner."

Letter to Meik

 

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