As the police officers were packing up their gear and were about to wrap up another successful police raid in a northern city in Israel, Leo started barking. He refused to leave the scene; he found something suspicious during his final search. Lo and behold, Leo came up with another well hidden stash of drugs which the police officers would have left behind.
As Leo's trainers/operators congratulate him for another well-done mission, not even they could imagine the incredible affect Leo has had on others' lives, before he even went out on his first police operation.
Leo is a native Israeli born Springer Spaniel trained to detect illegal narcotics and explosives for the Israel Police. He was born, raised and trained in the Israeli training program located in the heart of the Manof Youth Village in northern Israel, designed to breed and train dogs for security purposes, while involving youth at risk.
A special program located in a special place
The unique program is the outcome of the growing demand for trained working dogs for security purposes and the difficulty to find high quality purebred dogs fit for the nature of this demanding work. In today's era, when fighting crime and global terror is on the top of the public agenda, the Chief Scientist at the Ministry of Public Security, the Israel Police and the Israel Prison Service joined forces with the Rural Education Administration in the Ministry of Education and created a dog breeding and training program around the children of the Manof Youth Village.
The Manof Youth Village grants a once in a life time opportunity to youth at risk who have experienced academic, social and family shortcomings and haven’t succeeded in past educational frameworks. Manof opens new doors for these youngsters, allowing them to blossom andrealize their potential in a wide variety of subjects such as manufacturing, engineering, pastry cooking, dog breeding and training, graphic design, hair design and economics and management.
The Manof Youth Village was founded in 1975 and consists of 180 students on campus in northern Israel. In 1999 the kennel was established in memory of Uriel Bar Maimon, a student of Manof who was killed during his service in the Israel Defense Force, andin 2006 it was transformed into a professional breeding and training ground with over 100 canines, led by the headtrainer, Arkadi Schulman, an army veteran with over 30 years of experience.
The Manof campus is situated in the pastoral area of northern Israel composed of green grass, modern buildings and sports and educational facilities. During the day the students carry out a regular high school schedule including studies and extra curricular activities. Towards the afternoon, the members of the canine study track make their way to the pound to spend time with their four-legged friends.
During the day the dogs spend their time with the professional trainers training for drug and explosive detection, patrol methods and other police work. They are cared for and played with by the students of Manof. During the day the youngsters feed the dogs, take them out for walks and play time, accustom them to public areas and assist in their training.
Throughout the program, the students learn to care for the dogs and train them, learn about communicating withthem and understanding their 'language' and senses - all while learning the fundamental values of patience, tolerance and mutual understanding. The program creates a bond between the teenagers and the dogs which causes a positive change in their self confidence, interpersonal relations and everyday life - allowing them to deal with decision making, problem solving and conflict management.
A win-win situation: the Manof success story
Joy, a German Sheppard, graduated the Manof training program as a drug sniffing dog and joined the Israel Police immediately afterwards. Joy was assigned to the southern district, and after going through police operational training, she starting participating in field operations. In a police raid in November this year Joy continued to search the scene even as the police officers were packing up to go. Right before leaving, Joy located a package buried in the ground under an animal carcass containing 11 kilos of heroin.
"My dog doesn’t only work with me, he cares for me. We have a very special connection," says a police dog operator. "He knows exactly what needs to be done out in the field."
The Israel Police was not the only one to benefit from the program. The dogs will never know the incredible effect they had on the lives of youngsters in the Manof Youth Village. Many of the canine training members have graduated high school and were drafted to the Israeli army. Eight members were accepted to the IDF canine units and one student is a dog trainer in the Israel Prison Service.
Before entering the program, many of the students would have never even believed they would graduate high school. "I owe it all to the dogs and to Manof," said one of the students who has always been shadowed by his criminal background and couldn’t fit into any other educational framework."When I arrived here I realized I had a chance to start from scratch. I started studying and learning about other approaches other than violence. Working with the dogs has taught me about patience, care and discipline. I hope to continue my dog training studies overseas."
The State of Israel and its people benefit two-fold from this unique program. The streets of Israel are a safer place to live as the Israel Police officers work hand in paw with their new Israeli trained partners in combating crime. In addition, Israel's society is reinforced with a fresh group of youngsters which otherwise would have little options for getting their lives back on track. The dogs of Manof granted them the second chance they so desperately needed.
As they go their separate ways, the dogs serving the Israel Police and the State of Israel, and the student finishing their army service and continuing with their lives, the two share a very special bond. The Ministry of Public Security and the Manof Youth Village gave them both an opportunity to make a difference.
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