Chester County Sheriff's Office seeks suggestions for names for its new K9s

CHESTER COUNTY, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- The Chester County Sheriff's Office is calling on the community to help name two dogs that are arriving at the end of the month to join their K-9 unit.

Sheriff Fredda Maddox said that with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic the department is trying to be very creative as to what it can do to engage the community.

So Maddox says the idea was born and now the name game is on.

Action News put people on the spot in West Chester, to see what they could come up with.

"I can think of things like Sparky," offered Nick Gentile of West Chester.

Jonathan Christopher Bortsalas of West Chester suggested Butch.

"Uhhhh Snooper? I had a guinea pig named Snooper. He liked to smell a lot," said David Bunn of West Chester.

Gina Shell of Downingtown told us, "My husband used to have a St. Bernard, and his name was Apollo."

So what's in a name when it comes to working dogs?

We asked Sergeant Janice Pickell, a supervisor in the K9 Unit, who named comfort dog Marley.

In Marley's case as a comfort dog, Pickell said she was inspired by the Bob Marley song 'Three Little Birds,' where Marley says "every little thing gonna be alright."

"I think it's important that the names are easy to say," said Pickell. "That they're not too confusing and they're easy for the dog to recognize."

Winner gets bragging rights and eventually a photo with the dogs.

The response has been tremendous, according to Sheriff Maddox.

"We've had 'Chester' because we're in 'Chester County'. We've had 'West' because we're getting two, so 'West' and 'Chester'," Maddox said.

Both new additions are male German Shepherds. The office only has a photo of one of the dogs.

Both will go through rigorous training to detect explosives, narcotics, or missing persons, and then use these skills to serve the community that named them.

"The dogs work hard. I'm proud of them. They do a good job," Gentile remarked.

You have to submit your name suggestions by Friday at 5 p.m. if you want them to be considered.

To submit a suggested name for each of the Chester County Sheriff's Office's newest K-9s, email yukon@chesco.org.