Onyx, the University of Oregon Police Department’s dog, will soon be returning to active on-campus duty, UOPD Chief Matthew Carmichael said in an interview with the Emerald.
Onyx joined the UOPD in March 2018, according to Around the O. The K9 program was placed on hold, according to the Register-Guard, following the termination for cause of his handler, Officer Troy Phillips, due to UOPD policy violations. Carmichael said that Onyx was in the care of a UOPD employee during the interim period.
Carmichael said that UOPD Officer Andy Johnson was selected two weeks ago to be Onyx’s new handler. The team, currently in Sacramento, California, is two weeks into their training together, Carmichael said. He anticipated that the team would be finished with their training by the end of the week, and Onyx could be back in service as soon as next week.
“The nice thing about Onyx is he’s lovable, but he’s a really smart dog, so the transition to the new handler, so far, has gone exceptionally well,” Carmichael said.
Onyx is a trained explosive ordnance detection dog, with special FBI certification. He works both special events and callouts, when situations in the community call for an EOD dog, Carmichael said. Despite Oregon State Police’s recent adoption of an EOD dog and the Department of Homeland Security’s own dog, Carmichael said that “police-department wise, Onyx is the only EOD dog from here down to the California border.”
Carmichael said that a gap was felt when Onyx was out of service. “I think that we feel that when one of our animals leaves our family,” he said, “It’s no different here, absolutely. Onyx plays not only a major role in the community, but he’s truly a member of this family.”
Onyx serves as a connection for students who have had to leave their own pets behind, Carmichael said, as well as a bridge between the police and people on campus. “I can stand out on the grass and say, ‘Hi,’ and be friendly, and I’ll get a, ‘Hi,’ but if I stand out there with Onyx, I will inevitably get 20 students around myself and the handler,” he said.
Onyx will be primarily working out of the newly-opened west university station, Carmichael said because of the sheer amount of foot traffic in that area. “That’s where the students are,” he said.
“I’m excited to get back on track,” Carmichael said.
