But in this case, the officer has four legs.
In the Taylor household, dog is boy's best friend. Elli, the German shepherd and 18 month old Michael are nearly inseparable, even though neither can speak a word.
Holding our microphone, it is clear that someday soon Michael will speak; as for Elli, her appearance says it all.
"Her laceration is right in here. She's still sensitive," said Michael Taylor, Elli's handler.
Ellie is a 4 and half year old bomb-sniffing K9 with the Delaware County Sheriff's Department, a highly trained expert in explosives detection.
Two months ago, her handler, Mike Taylor, noticed what was a benign limp, started getting worse.
"She wouldn't put any weight on her hip, on her right leg and she started limping really bad," said Michael Taylor.
Elli's diagnosis is dysplasia, causing severe arthritis in her hip joint. So severe, she required surgery.
Having invested heavily in her training, Delaware County footed the bill for Elli's hip replacement two weeks ago.
But now, she needs physical therapy to get back on the street; a pricey prospect.
"You're trying to train an athlete to get back in the game. It's not like a regular house pet where all she does is sit home and go for walks and stuff, she has to go to work every day just like you and I," said Taylor.
While it is not yet known how much the therapy will cost, it will be too much for the department to bear, and they know they can't bear without Elli.
So they're turning to the community she serves in hopes it will help her.
"Everything you can think of, she's used throughout Delaware County. We're on call all the time, and we need to get her back to work as soon as possible," said Taylor.
The Delaware County Sheriff's department has set up a special fund to help with Elli's recovery and rehab.
Anyone interesting in helping Elli can send donations payable to:
Delaware County PA Sheriff's Reserve Unit
50 South Providence Road
Media, PA 19063
Attn: K-9 Elli Fund
The Sheriff's Reserve Unit is an IRS registered non-profit organization, and all contributions are tax deductible.
