Choper was the only K9 officer in Warren County, and the county has missed the services he provided.

Children and adults throughout the county who had the opportunity to meet Choper have missed him.

And Choper’s partner, Officer Scott Neiswonger, misses him.

“It’s been a very hard thing,” Neiswonger said.

Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry The crew at Cornerstone show their support for the Conewango Township K9 Fund, with owner Glenn Baldensperger handing a check for $500 to Conewango Township Police Officer Scott Neiswonger.

He’s not going through it alone.

“All the kids send me letters,” he said, “… tears every time.”

Both Neiswonger and Choper were certified through the North American Police Work Dog Association. “It’s one of the hardest certifications in the United States,” he said.

He remains the only officer in the county with that certification.

There are other K9 officers in the region — St. Marys, Edinboro, and Edinboro University each have K9 officers and there are several serving with agencies in Chautauqua County.

K9s are regional assets.

“This isn’t just a Conewango dog,” Neiswonger said. “This is a Warren County dog.”

“We could go to New York. We could go to Ohio,” he said. “As long as we are requested.”

That hasn’t happened with the Conewango Township K9 program yet. “We have not gone out of county,” Neiswonger said.

Neiswonger and Choper were kept busy in the county.

“We were successful in what we were meant to do,” Neiswonger said.

Choper was a dual-purpose K9 officer. But his mission went beyond patrol and narcotics detection.

Raising awareness, doing demonstrations in schools, and visiting programs like D.A.R.E. were all in a day’s work for Choper.

He was a public relations officer. And Neiswonger wants that, not a dog whose training is such that people can never approach it.

“I want to touch all the schools and the D.A.R.E. programs,” he said.

Neiswonger is confident that Shallow Creek Kennels of Sharpsville knows what he is looking for and what kind of dog will be the best fit.

“They all know what Choper was like,” he said. “They know what kind of dog we need for the community.”

The time to find a new K9 to serve Warren County is coming.

In July, Neiswonger and Chief Jason Peters approached the Conewango Township Supervisors about continuing the K9 program.

“They have been very supportive,” Neiswonger said. “All three supervisors were in support of it, contingent to when I’m ready.”

The community, including his comrades in law enforcement, has

While they particularly understand the value of having a K9 officer in the county, they know it is up to Neiswonger to set the timing.

“The dog is an asset to the Warren County Drug Task Force, the community, and officer safety,” Neiswonger said.

Beyond his relationship with Choper, Neiswonger said it is difficult to suddenly go without such a valuable tool.

But, it is also not a tool that can be replaced immediately.

Bringing a K9 officer to a force takes money.

Donations have been pouring in — from foundations and businesses to kids running car washes.

“”It’s important to us because we supported the original funding for K9 Choper,” Michelle Betts of the Betts Foundation said. “It wasn’t just for the law enforcement benefit, but the community benefit. It exceeded our expectations and we didn’t want to see it end.”

“We like to support our local law enforcement,” Cornerstone owner Glenn Baldensperger said. He is looking forward to seeing Neiswonger “with another K9 officer to assist in addressing the law enforcement needs in the community.”

“It’s been a very humbling thing to know of all the community support,” Neiswonger said. “Everybody in the community has stepped up. They know we need to raise money for the next K9.”

The Community Foundation of Warren County has set up a fund and seeded it with an establishing grant of $10,000.

The Betts Foundation recently gave $10,000 to the fund.

Warren County Crime Stoppers and Cornerstone have each contributed $500.

There is an up-front cost, but there are many other ongoing costs. The fund will not be completely drained to bring in the dog.

In Choper’s case, Purina donated his food and Russell Veterinary Hospital donated his care — from flea and tick treatment to emergency surgery.

There are state and federal sources of dollars that can be requested.

And there are private organizations that help with K9 funding.

The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation is one of those. “Hopefully we’ll be putting paperwork in for the Roethlisberger,” Neiswonger said.

Support is already arriving from NFL sources. Blueberry Hill will host a golf tournament in August. Both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills are among donors that have given items to be raffled off at the event.

“Hopefully that’s a big fund-raiser that we’ll hold every year,” Neiswonger said. “All proceeds will benefit the Conewango Township K9 Fund.”

There are four different academy dates each year. Neiswonger and his new partner will have to go through one of those — when he is ready.

“Choper meant a lot to me,” Neiswonger said. “He was part of my family. It’s hard to wake up and not have him there. I was definitely a hard loss for me and my family.”

“I was off work for a little bit,” he said. “They put me on administrative leave.”

He is back, and he is dedicated to preparing for a new K9 officer.

“The support really has picked me up,” he said. “I’m looking forward to continuing the program, assisting the community, assisting the other departments. I definitely want to get back to it.”

Still, “I know that I’m not ready right now,” Neiswonger said. “I need to give my next K9 partner 100 percent.”