Jerry Davich: Would you randomly drug-test your teenager?

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Portage Police Sgt. Mark Monks and his police partner, Eros, who needs serious surgery or he will have to be put down. Eros has been a police dog for eight years. | Provided photo~Sun-Times Media

Updated: February 21, 2012 8:16AM

Would you randomly drug test your teenager if you suspected any kind of substance abuse?

I asked this question to many parents I know and, collectively, their answer was a resounding “YES.”

I then asked if those parents would test their teen even if they did not suspect drug use, but simply wanted to send a message.

This is where parents separated on the issue. Some told me no. Subjecting their apparently drug-free teen to a drug test would endanger their trust factor.

Other parents disagreed, taking a more hard-line approach with their child. Under MY roof you’ll live under MY rules — you know the lecture.

I find this surprisingly hot-button issue very intriguing and I’m wondering if such home-based, parent-mandated drug testing has worked successfully to keep a teen clean. Or if it has backfired.

If either scenario has taken place in your home, feel free to contact me for a future column in the works.

In the meantime, the Porter County Substance Abuse Council sells drug testing kits to parents who wish to test a child 17 years or younger. The kits cost $5, and parents can purchase up to four kits at a time to regularly test for marijuana, heroin, cocaine and ecstasy.

For more info, call 462-0946.

Cop’s best friend, too

I don’t care for pets, including dogs. This is no secret to anyone who knows me, but it’s sacrilegious to some, I know.

Maybe it’s because a seemingly harmless dog bit me in my youth. Maybe it’s because a seemingly ferocious dog vomited on my shoes as an adult. Maybe I just don’t like being bit or vomited on by any creature.

Not a week goes by, or sometimes even a day, when I’m asked by readers to write about their sick pooch, lost kitty or heroic pet of some kind. I often decline, citing all the humans I’m busy writing about. In other words, I disappoint a lot of pet lovers on a regular basis.

But then I heard about “Eros,” the 24-7 canine partner of Portage Police Sgt. Mark Monks, who’s been a valuable member of the department for eight years.

Eros, a German shepherd initially trained in Germany, has tracked down criminals, sniffed out drugs and helped with legitimate police work, always with Monks at his side.

“Eros is a valued member of my family and he was a loyal partner and protector for the city,” Monks told me.

Eros recently had a ruptured disc in his neck, causing numb legs and the inability to walk. Emergency surgery was needed to correct the problem or Eros would have to be put to sleep.

“The department has been very gracious with paying for his initial bills in the emergency room and the testing to determine exactly what the problem was,” Monks said. “But the cost for the surgery is going to be between $4,000 and $5,000, which the department cannot incur for a dog that will never work again.”

So Monks and his family are paying for the surgery, and they are hoping city residents and other pet-loving people — possibly you — will help their cause with donations.

“I could not see giving up on Eros,” Monks said. “Without the surgery, he would not have been able to walk again. I also have two small children who have had Eros their entire lives.”

Ah, the human kid angle. That always gets me.

Plus, Eros is more than just a pet. His life and health have been put on the line for the safety of my city. Even I see that.

If you’re interested in helping the cause, Monks has created an “Eros Donation” account to help defray the cost of surgery and care for his long-time partner.

Donations can be made at the Regional Federal Credit Union, 389 W. U.S. 6, Valparaiso, or mailed to 6212 U.S. 6, Box 145, Portage, IN 46368. Donation jars also are located at several local businesses. In fact, I dropped a couple bucks in a collection can last week at Cappo’s Pizza in Portage.

It’s not much, but it’s a first for me regarding an animal. That’s a start, right?

Listen to Jerry’s “Casual Fridays” radio show on Fridays at noon on WLPR 89.1-FM or www.thelakeshorefm.com.