They Tried to Write Him Off — Now Ron Is Sniffing Out Drugs for the Police

Listen. I don’t care who you are. When Ron first came into this world, nobody gave him a shot.

He was a pit bull — a “bully breed” — and to most people, that meant a death sentence.

Except Ron didn’t know how to quit, and the universe was about to give him a second act nobody saw coming.

Ron’s story starts in a Minnesota shelter. Three years old. Full of life. But marked by despair. According to reports, he was one of the dogs slated for euthanasia.

That’s right. A dog with drive, intelligence, and heart — almost put down because of his breed. But fate wasn’t done writing his story.

Enter Unbreakabull Pit Bull Rescue and K-9 Protectors, two forces of nature who believed that a dog’s worth isn’t determined by stereotypes.

Trainers there watched videos of Ron doing what he loved most — playing with toys, tracking, sniffing. They saw potential.

They ignored the stigma. Because to these people, value was not just in what Ron looked like, but in what he could do.

Christie Marrano, one of his trainers, said it straight: “I know he may be hard to place; there’s a stigma, but we have to take this dog… he’s fantastic.”

And she did. In just a few months, Ron was trained to sniff out narcotics. A pit bull, not a shepherd or a Malinois — but Ron didn’t care about expectations.

He just cared about the toy. The work. The mission.

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Still, even with that kind of skill, doors didn’t open easily. Traditional K-9 units want the same old breeds. Labs, shepherds — you know the playbook.

But Delran Township Police Department, led by Chief Matt Gasper and Patrolman Tyler Malia, saw something different.

They saw a once-forgotten rescue dog with a burning drive. Tyler admitted, “I was a little taken aback at first… but after meeting Ron… instantly, I fell in love.”

That decision was bold. Real bold. They didn’t just add another dog to the force. They gave a second chance to a dog most people would have dismissed out of hand.

Ron graduated training. He and Tyler went through Canine Academy together. Not just any academy — Middlesex County Sheriff’s K-9 Academy. They learned, they grew, they built trust.

And then — just a month in service — he struck gold. Or, well… crack. Two separate drug busts. Two separate car searches.

Ron’s sharp nose didn’t just pass tests — he made arrests. The Delran PD calls him a “rockstar,” and it’s no hyperbole. He’s already making an impact.

But here’s the part that matters most: Ron is believed to be the first pit bull in New Jersey ever to serve as a narcotics detection K-9.

A rescue pit bull. Not a stereotype. Not a liability. A K-9. A hero.

Tyler says it plain: “Just because he’s a rescue pit doesn’t mean anything. He’s the most lovable dog I’ve ever been around.”

And in those words, you hear not just pride — you hear a man who’s been proven wrong in the best possible way.

Let me be crystal: Ron’s not just sniffing out drugs. He’s sniffing out ignorance. He’s proving that breed doesn’t determine value, drive does.

That rescue dogs aren’t just pets — they can be life-saving partners. That redemption isn’t a story reserved for humans.

What Ron did wasn’t easy. He went from being discarded to working the streets. From a euthanasia list to a police unit.

That transformation didn’t just change his life — it’s changing minds.

This is more than a feel-good fluff piece. This is a call to action. How many other “unwanted” dogs are out there, waiting for someone to believe in them?

Waiting for someone to say, “I’ll take him. I’ll train him. I’ll give him a purpose.” How many lives could be saved — from shelters, from stereotypes, from wasted potential?

If you’re reading this, you can do something. Share this story. Talk about Ron. Support rescues that train K-9s.

Advocate for second chances — for rescue dogs, for people, for ideas.

Because Ron isn’t just a pit bull. He’s a walking, barking, snuffling manifesto on why we should never give up on those who’ve been written off.

So next time someone says a pit bull can’t be a cop dog — just show them Ron.

Because he’ll sniff out every single ounce of doubt and bury it deep.

Here’s to Ron — the dog who busted more than just drugs. He busted prejudice.