Handler – Deputy Joe DiMariano<\/p>\n
Longtime member of the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit passes away<\/p>\n
As the only bloodhound in the four-dog Ontario County Sheriff\u2019s Office K-9 Unit, Truman spent his decade-long career tracking missing people and sniffing out hiding and fleeing criminal suspects across the county. Deputy Joe DiMariano spent seven of those 10 years partnered with Truman, developing a unique friendship with the powerful yet affable 120-pound dog. Their bond didn\u2019t end with Truman\u2019s last track as a member of the K-9 Unit last year. As he did when the pair worked together, Truman continued to live with DiMariano in Clifton Springs upon his retirement, going from the deputy’s partner to his pet. Earlier this month, the Sheriff’s Office announced that Truman had passed away. It was a difficult situation for DiMariano, who was struck by the number of people in the community who reached out to express their sadness over his four-legged friend’s death. \u201cTruman loved everybody,\u201d DiMariano recently said while sharing stories of his companion. \u201cHe just loved life.\u201d Truman was no more than 9 months old when he was donated to the Sheriff\u2019s Office in 2005. His name was inspired by Deputy Truman Becker, who was on duty when he was killed in a motor vehicle crash in 1981. Ontario County Sheriff\u2019s Deputy John Peck was initially assigned Truman and trained the bloodhound for the department. But when Peck retired a couple years later, Truman, still only 2 years old, needed a new comrade to hold his leash. DiMariano jumped at the chance. While growing up in Phelps, DiMariano knew he wanted to be a member of law enforcement. As a dog lover, he also knew that he wanted a canine partner while carrying out the duties of a police officer. In 2007, DiMariano\u2019s first career goal was crossed off the list when he was hired as a deputy with the Ontario County Sheriff\u2019s Office. Approximately two years later, his first canine companion entered his life. \u201cI was lucky enough to be chosen to be partnered with Truman,\u201d DiMariano said, pointing out that several other deputies applied to be Pike\u2019s successor. During his youth, when he imagined the canine he\u2019d be partnered with, DiMariano probably hadn\u2019t pictured a dog like Truman \u2014 the deputy pointed out that he had never seen a bloodhound before. But DiMariano quickly realized that he and Truman were a strong match. \u201cBy the time you got the dog into the car for work you’re covered in hair and slobber, but it came with the territory,\u201d DiMariano said. \u201cI\u2019d never change a thing. It was the best career move of my life.\u201d The adjustment was smooth, according to DiMariano. Since Truman was already trained, DiMariano followed his partner’s lead. \u201cTruman, he knew what he was doing,\u201d DiMariano said. \u201cIt was more about me learning what I was supposed to be doing.” He stressed the power of Truman when the two trailed a target \u2014 wherever Truman went, DiMariano went. One of the tracks that sticks in DiMariano\u2019s mind took place in Farmington during the middle of the night. DiMariano and Truman were tasked with looking for a suspect who crashed his car and took off on foot. After picking up the scent of an individual, Truman led DiMariano to a woodline. The darkness hid a 10-foot drop-off, as DiMariano was about to learn. Upon entering the shadows of the woods, the two tumbled down the hill. When the dust settled, DiMariano realized that Truman\u2019s harness had broken during the fall. \u201cI look up and Truman is still going and not connected to anything,\u201d he said. Anxiety grew for DiMariano, as the search switched from finding a criminal suspect to tracking down his missing partner. After 45 minutes of stumbling around the dark in search of Truman with a fellow deputy, he heard barking in the distance. After climbing back up the hill toward the barks, Truman was spotted in the middle of an apartment complex courtyard. Truman had become sidetracked. \u201cHe was chasing cats,\u201d DiMariano said. \u201cHe didn\u2019t like cats so much.\u201d The successful searches from the Truman-DiMariano team are countless, including the discovery of a 10-year-old autistic boy in Wayne County. The youth had wandered away from his home and, when darkness fell, became frightened and took refuge in a barn. The two found him hiding among hay bales. The successful find inspired the Wayne County Sheriff\u2019s Office, which had used a couple of their German shepherds, to get a bloodhound of their own. \u201cIt\u2019s probably the most rewarding thing you\u2019re ever going to do,\u201d DiMariano said. \u201cEspecially when you\u2019re looking for a missing person \u2014 an elderly person or a missing child. You have your adrenaline going because you want to find them as much as (the canine) wants to find them.\u201d But a decade is a long haul in dog years, and Truman started to show his age. Truman’s last track was finding DiMariano’s daughter during a training session in June 2015. Truman would eventually adjust to the retired life. His final evening was spent like many others \u2014 playing in DiMariano’s backyard. The following morning DiMariano headed outside to Truman’s kennel \u2014 a walk usually greeted by barking and an excited Truman standing at the kennel door. \u201cBut I saw him lying in his house part of the kennel and once I opened up the gate, he didn\u2019t move,\u201d DiMariano said. “I knew then.” DiMariano reached out to Peck to let him know. The news of Truman’s death was then released by the Sheriff’s Office, and an outpouring of love flowed. Throughout Truman’s career, the dog was used in demonstrations at the Ontario County Fair and at area schools, and in front of various groups. People who had experienced the fun-loving Truman reached out to DiMariano expressing sympathy. As for DiMariano, he has since been assigned a new bloodhound named Addy. As the relationship with his new partner grows, he doesn\u2019t expect memories of his first canine partner to fade. \u201cTruman was an ambassador for the Sheriff\u2019s Office because he was loved by everyone,\u201d DiMariano said. \u201cHe\u2019s definitely going to be missed.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Handler – Deputy Joe DiMariano Longtime member of the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit passes away As the only bloodhound in the four-dog Ontario County Sheriff\u2019s Office K-9 Unit, Truman spent his decade-long career tracking missing people and sniffing out hiding and fleeing criminal suspects across the county. Deputy Joe DiMariano spent seven of …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2457,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[64],"class_list":["post-2455","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-k9memorial","tag-ny"],"yoast_head":"\n