Kennel Sweet Kennel
OAKLAND TWP — Adam Kennihan of Valencia was looking for an Eagle Scout project that was different from projects completed by other members of Troop 58 in Cooperstown.
He didn't have to look very far.
His grandfather suggested building an indoor kennel for Bullet, a German shorthaired pointer that works as the county sheriff department's tracking and narcotics detection K-9 and is handled by deputy Harry Callithen II, Adam's uncle.
Adam, 16, quickly agreed. He said he sees Bullet when he visits his uncle and when his uncle brings the dog to his school for education programs.“I think it looks good. I think it will keep him warm in the winter,” Adam said Wednesday when he met Sheriff Mike Slupe at Callithen's house to show him the kennel.“I know what it takes for a Scout to put a project together. They put their heart and soul into the project and it is obvious by the outcome,” Slupe said.A junior in the Mars Area School District, Adam enlisted help from other troop members and they did most of the work in two weekends, finishing on Nov. 15.Planning began in September by designing the layout of the kennel and seeking donations of material and money.Kennihan Plumbing and Heating of Valencia, a family business where Adam's father, Jerry Kennihan, works, donated a furnace that was installed in Callithen's garage, where the kennel is located.The kennel is insulated and includes a bed. A doggy door allows Bullet to move between the kennel and back yard. Bullet also spends time in Callithen's house.Other businesses gave Adam discounts on materials and money to buy the materials.“I think the businesses around here were looking for something to feel good about,” Jerry said.Jerry supported his son's project, knowing first-hand what he was undertaking after earning his Eagle Scout rank in 1987 by rebuilding restrooms at Glade Run Lake.He said the last 10 Eagle Scout projects completed by troop members focused on the lake.“It came out really nice — according to plan,” Jerry said about the kennel.Adam said he has to submit some paperwork about the project, finish work on two badges and review the project with scout officials before he finds out over the summer if he will become an Eagle Scout.
The kennel provides a safe, warm place for Bullet and will do the same for his successor.Callithen said Bullet is 10 years old and will soon be retired after eight years of service to the department and county.He said going to schools for education programs is mostly what he and Bullet do, but there haven't been any school visits this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bullet is also used to track and locate missing people and help the Butler County Drug Task Force in narcotics detection when needed, he said.The department is working with Shallow Creek Kennels in Mercer County, where Bullet was purchased, to obtain a new dog. The new dog will probably be imported from Europe, where Bullet was bred.Bullet's high amount of drive and energy is what makes him valuable for law enforcement work, and those characteristics will be sought in his successor, Callithen said.“If it likes to lay down, it's not a good work dog. If it drives you crazy, it could be a good work dog,” Callithen said.The department's K-9 program is funded solely by donations. Slupe said donations will be sought for the $16,000 needed to buy and train Bullet's replacement.Hunting breeds of dogs such as pointers and retrievers, or “floppy eared” dogs as Callithen calls them, are sought for certain types of law enforcement work because they are less intimidating than German shepherds and Belgian Malinois, which many agencies use, and they like to sniff things out.“Their desire to seek things out is high,” Callithen said.
