Schultzs Law - Law Enforced in the honor of the police German Shepherd Dog Schult

Death of Gloucester police GSD, Schultz - the iconic crime fighter, leads to call for mandatory severe penal action

After the incidence of killing an on-duty Gloucester Township police German Shepherd Dog, named Schultz by the robbery suspect, Sen. Fred Madden and Assembly man Paul Moriarty (both D-Camden and Gloucester) have introduced legislation to punish such acts with a mandatory five-year jail term. Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West part of England.

Schultz was a 3.5-year-old German shepherd Dog owned by Gloucester's police force was part of a 100-officer manhunt for a robbery suspect on the night of Nov. 3, 2010. Schultz followed their odor to bushes near Route 42 and pounced on one of the criminals named Robinson, said the Gloucester County Police Chief Harry Earle. After the suspect had been tracked, Schultz latched onto the arm of the man, who deliberately and recklessly swung Schultz amidst the traffic on Route 42 in order to escape his grip, reported the police officers. According to the report Schultz was run over by a speeding car and expired within a while along the roadside.

On Tuesday, December 7, 2010 Madden said, "Schultz gave his life doing exactly what he was trained to do - hunt down criminals and help his human handlers arrest them so they could be brought to justice." He further said, "Schultz died a hero. Targeting and killing a police dog should be viewed no less harshly than directly assaulting a police officer." At a grim news conference on Wednesday, the Gloucester County Police Chief Harry Earle said, "Officer Schultz gave his life for Cpl. Pickard and all the other officers." According to Moriarty, "dogs that assist law enforcement are valuable allies in the fight against crime. This dog was doing nothing more than his job serving and protecting the public. They deserve legitimate protection against abuse, and those who abuse them need to face severe punishment."

Gloucester Township patrolman Mark Pickard and his dog Schultz attend a 

K-9 Heroes Day program at Veterans Park in Gloucester Township, N.J., on June 5, 2010.

The bill (S-2541/A-3602) was passed under which the law called "Schultz's Law" was enforced in honor of the hero GSD named Schultz. According to the "Schultz's Law", the people found guilty of purposeful killing a police dog or a dog (irrespective of breed and type) engaged in a search and rescue operation would be sentenced to a mandatory minimum three to five years of imprisonment, with no eligibility for parole, and a fine of $15,000. According to the "Schultz's Law", Killing a police dog or search and rescue dog (regardless of breed) is currently considered as a third-degree crime, which results to the severe penal action mentioned above.

The lawmakers mentioned that Schultz - the iconic police GSD was highly renowned throughout Gloucester. Schultz - the iconic police German Shepherd used to lice with his handler, Cpl. Mark Pickard, and his family.

It was a time of mourning for police in Gloucester Township. The flag in front of the municipal building was at half-staff on Wednesday for the entire day. Pickard was put on administrative leave to grieve. Earle said that Pickard and his family would not be available for comment. He further said that donations were rolling in to honor the K-9 crime fighter, Schultz. He said they'd be used to pay for a memorial and perhaps a new police dog. Schultz's service was held at 2 p.m. at Gloucester Township Community Park, which included the unveiling of a K-9 memorial sign, as well as a bagpipe performance, a rifle salute and honor guards. A procession of all Gloucester Township police vehicles had escort Schultz's cremated remains to the Hickstown Road park. Schultz's cortege had departed at 1:40 p.m. from the Chews Landing Veterinary Hospital, 1179 Chews Landing Road.

Moriarty said, "Schultz was more than a dog to his community. He was a friend, protector and an asset to all law-abiding citizens. This law will ensure he and his fellow K-9 officers have strong protections against those who shirk society's rules." Sen. Fred Madden said, "Hopefully, passage of this law would be a lasting memorial to his service," Madden said.

Let Schulz's soul sleep in peace - Aringsburg