Quattro
Quattro
Service agency: New Castle County Police Department
Breed: German Shepherd
Handler : Master Cpl. Edwin Mousley
Quattro helped New Castle County police with 115 criminal apprehensions, seized $474,508 and discovered pounds of illegal drugs, Master Cpl. Michel Eckerd said.
Mousley and Quattro had patrolled the county together from 2007 to 2015, and Mousley recalled a few of their cases together. Quattro caught an active shooter and saved responding officers' lives, Mousley said. The shooter was holed up in his home before he ran out the back door and Quattro chased him to a creek. The man jumped in the creek to avoid officers, and then shot at Quattro and Mousley.
"Officers still tell me that Quattro saved their lives," he said. "He never failed me once on the street. He's been shot at, choked, assaulted, but he never lost."While on the force, Quattro found a deaf child with autism playing in a creek, where he could have drowned, after he wandered away from his mother. "We rely heavily on dogs like Quattro to help us protect the community," Eckerd said. "As we stand shoulder to shoulder with the community, it's just as important to look down at the officer's boots. There might be a canine there, ready to risk his life as much as we do for the county."
Once he retired in 2015, he transitioned into a beloved family dog. Instead of chasing criminals, finding drugs and rescuing lost children, Mousley and Quattro would go on walks, play ball and watch TV together. Quattro began to sleep in the Mousleys' bedroom, a luxury never permitted while he was working.
He became a star on Instagram- Mousley's daughter included photos of him often in her Instagram feed. He was patient as she dressed him up in costumes and took photos, Mousley said. "It's hard on all the family," Mousley said. "I'm just glad he got three years at home with us.”