Matt ZarrellaWe found the body. We got a tip from a neighbor. Buried under the deck, covered in three inches of cement. It's a miracle Ruby even caught the scent. You made the wrong call. You should have trusted your K9.
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Matt ZarrellaStay ready and you won't have to get ready.
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Matt ZarrellaYou're official. Promoted to full-status K9 unit.
DanNo, I'm... I'm the stupid jerk Zarrella always thought, a guy who doesn't know his own limitations or his dog's. I'm sorry, Mel.
Melissa O'NealI don't care if you're in the K9 unit. We can manage without the extra money. I married you, not your job. My husband has his own superpowers. His big heart. His boundless energy. His ability to hyper-focus on things. How he forgives. How he never gives up. How he trusts in something bigger than himself.
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DanSir, I know you think I don't have the right temperament, that-that I'm easily distracted, maybe not much of a reader, but, uh, for the job, I think intuitive skills and people skills are more important than being speedy with the paperwork. Plus, I love dogs. I'm ready for this. I'd really like to try out, sir.
Matt ZarrellaAren't you already qualified in a bunch of other trooper specialties?
DanYes, sir, I am. Uh, hostage negotiating, EVOC training, peer-to-peer counseling, honor guard, boat team, dive team, but K9 is my dream. You know that, sir. I mean, I think you know that, sir. Sorry, sir. I don't... I don't mean to presume to know what you know or think.
Matt ZarrellaBut also a truth-teller. K9 team requires calm and focus. You're all over the place. You can't even sit still. Who knows where your mind is.
Matt ZarrellaI appreciate the candor and the persistence, but I don't see it.
DanYou do this because you care about people, sir, the same as me. You want justice. You want endings to stories. Sometimes happy endings. Sometimes just closure.
Matt ZarrellaThe department has no money for new dogs. The German shepherds we use come from Czech Republic or Germany and cost over $10,000 each. I know how much you want this, how long you've waited. I'm a short guy. I barely made the height requirement. I had to work twice as hard to get to the same place as everyone else.
Seamus BradyDon't tell Zarrella you heard this from me, but you don't need a German shepherd. Not technically. I've seen it before, up in Mass. See, what you're needing is, um, a young, good-sized dog who's curious, and agile, and has spirit.
DanExcuse me, sir. How many juice boxes have you had this afternoon? All right, license and registration, please.
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Pat Inman[Ruby is returned by yet another family]That dog looks like Ruby, right? But it's not. It's a new dog.
Rick McGuinnessShe's had so many chances. We can't keep unadoptable dogs. She'll be put down tonight.
Pat InmanRick, no. Ruby's never had a real home. She thinks this is home. We are her home. And when somebody takes her, she thinks she's just visiting, like going to the vet and we're gonna pick her up. You know how these dogs are. Their family drops them off here, and day after day they just wait, expecting their person to come and get them. They'll wait and wait. Sometimes they wait a very long time. It's heartbreaking. Ruby just knows how to get back home. It can take a while before someone as loyal and loving as a dog can commit to someone new. Nobody's given Ruby that chance.
Pat InmanOne more day. I've got people I can call. Please.
Rick McGuinnessYou have until the end of the day, but the vet comes at 7:00.
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DanUh, this year's my last chance. The applicants have to be under thirty, and I'm twenty-nine.
Sergeant Amanda GrinnellI'll write the letter of rec again, but I'm not the one standing in the way of you trying out. It's Zarrella. His K9 unit, his academy.
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Dan[searching for Ruby after she runs away]Ruby, where are you? Come back! You didn't let me down. I let you down. I'm the one who's gotta change. I have to trust. Really trust.
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Dan[Dan discovers Ruby's run away in the night]She's gone, Mel. It's my fault. I pushed her, I stressed her, then I blamed her for not performing. I didn't think she could do it, and then she didn't. I mean, so what if she's not a K9 dog? She's still a great dog.
Melissa O'NealNever. You would be my favorite. Teacher's pet.
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Sergeant Amanda GrinnellWeather continues to be unseasonably warm. Not even May, but keep an eye out for stranded motorists, carry extra water for overheating radiators. No matter the heat, hats stay on. I'm talking to you, Two Towers.
Tommy Two TowersYou got it, Sarge.
Billy Two TowersYou got it, Sarge.
Sergeant Amanda GrinnellAnd of special interest to O'Neal. It's that time of year. Tryouts for the K9 academy are coming up May 15.
Melissa O'NealK9 dogs live with their officer partners 24/7, right?
DanYeah, it's no trouble at all. They're trained. You wouldn't have to lift a finger.
Melissa O'NealI'm thinking now maybe it's not the right time for the K9 thing. Remember how we were building the deck when I was carrying Finn and you promised me a quiet pregnancy if it happened for us again?
DanLook, it... it's not the right time for K9 unit. It-it's the only time, Mel. I-It's a... it's a step up, a raise. We'll finally be able to pay off college loans, save for our kids, maybe get a bigger house someday.
DanI messed up. I didn't trust her. I... I let pressure get to me. I did to her what people do to me. Underestimate me, count me out. That's why I work harder.
Seamus BradyTo prove 'em wrong.
DanYeah, you know, to... to show I measure up. I'm not the stupid, hyperactive kid who couldn't read.
Seamus BradySearching for drugs somebody tossed out of a vehicle last night.
DanThat's some of Matt Zarrella's team down there. Best of the best. Like a Navy SEAL Special Ops team. 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses, compared to six million in people. Their sense of smell's 100,000 times more acute than ours. If we can sense a teaspoon of sugar in a cup of coffee, a dog can detect a teaspoon of sugar in...
Seamus BradyIn two Olympic-sized pools filled with water.