Middlesex Township picks K-9 Steki for search and rescue duties

Middlesex Township picked Steki because the department wanted a K-9 whose energy could be aimed at search work and victim support, not just the familiar drug-sniffing role. The female German Shorthaired Pointer had already clicked with handler Natalie Richards, and Chief Justin Bouch said the pair “hit it off,” making the choice easier after the department had originally looked for a Labrador.

Steki was set to begin training June 22 at Shallow Creek Kennels in Sharpsville, Mercer County, with the course expected to last about a month. Township officials hoped she would be ready for duty by Community Day on July 25, a deadline that matched the township’s earlier commitment to acquire, train and deploy a new K-9 by the end of July. The board approved $16,600 for officer and handler training at Shallow Creek Kennels.

The new dog marked a clear shift in what Middlesex Township wants from its working dogs. Steki will not be trained for narcotics detection. Instead, she is being prepared to locate missing persons and provide mental-health support after traumatic incidents, a role Bouch described as tracking and therapy tied to community engagement.

Richards, who joined the Middlesex Township Police Department in November 2025, brought eight years of law-enforcement experience from Allegheny County departments including O’Hara Township, Avalon and Swissvale Borough. Her background gave the department a handler with enough working-dog experience to make a more specialized K-9 assignment possible.

The township had been without a K-9 since August 2025, when Veegee left after his handler, Matthew Rapone, took another police job. Veegee, a Belgian Malinois, had followed Bolt, a German Shepherd who was transferred to Saxonburg in July 2024. Steki will become the department’s third K-9 in recent years, a quick turnover that shows how much the unit has changed since Mibo’s death.

Mibo, a German shepherd-Belgian Malinois, died on August 14, 2022 after a medical emergency. He had served with Middlesex Township since 2015 and was trained in explosive and gun detection as well as patrol duties. His death prompted condolences from other agencies and an escort of more than a dozen first responder agencies.

Steki’s selection also fits the breed’s reputation. The American Kennel Club describes the German Shorthaired Pointer as an enthusiastic, vigorous, highly active sporting dog, and the German Shorthaired Pointer Club of America notes the breed’s stamina and field-work strength. Other agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard and departments in places such as Front Royal, Virginia, have used German Shorthaired Pointers in K-9 work, making Steki a strong match for a job that depends on drive, nerves and purpose.