O’Fallon officer recalls his long police career fondly, including K-9 partner Danny

The year Dan Wunder and his wife, Elizabeth, were expecting their first child, they also welcomed a new addition to their family — his K-9 partner, Danny.

“When I was asked, I was newly married, so we had a lot of discussions about it. My wife’s great. She was very supportive of me my entire career,” he said. “I had six weeks of training in Evansville, Indiana, and came home on the weekends.”

That was February 1998. As he patrolled the streets with the loyal German Shepherd for eight and a half years, they apprehended countless criminals and made drug arrests in cases that resulted in several awards from the U.S. Police Canine Association and the German Shepherd Dog Club of St. Louis.

“Danny was a great dog. He was from the Czech Republic. There was continuous training for both of us. He was like a house dog, and then when he was a work dog, he was very serious. He would do something 110 percent,” he said.

Danny became a house dog full-time in August 2006 after developing health issues.

“That was a tough day,” Wunder said about the dog’s passing.

After serving O’Fallon as a patrolman, detective, and K-9 officer during his 27-year career, taking on virtually every special assignment the city offered, Wunder has retired.

“Dan has been a leader, mentor, and friend to many officers, both in our department and in law enforcement throughout the region,” said Police Chief Eric Van Hook. “As a firearms instructor for the Police Academy, he has passed on his knowledge and experience to countless new recruits throughout the last 27 years. Officer Wunder’s dedication and commitment to law enforcement and the citizens of O’Fallon will be missed.”

Wunder, who grew up in O’Fallon, joined the police department May 21, 1993. After his time as a canine handler, he was assigned to the criminal investigation division. During this time, he served on the Major Case Squad and was promoted to a deputy report officer. After five years, he returned to work as a patrolman for two years.

Then he spent three years undercover with the Illinois State Police. He was a supervisor and member in the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southern Illinois, where he worked on illegal trafficking of drugs in the metro-east.

He has appreciated working with his fellow officers and serving in O’Fallon.

“The chief does a great job. He’s a great leader. The city hires and retains many of the best officers and civilians, and we like working together, serving the city,” he said. “We’re very fortunate that the people support us. A supportive community really makes a difference.”

Wunder ready for more family time

He is looking forward to spending more time with his family. His son, Nicholas, 19, is entering lineman school. His son Jacob, 21, was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force on May 16.

“We’re happy for them,” he said.

As a family, they like cycling.

“We really enjoy it, as a social aspect and as a health aspect,” he said.

In recent years, they took a vacation to Sante Fe, New Mexico, where his youngest son raced while the rest participated in a fun ride.

“We had a great time,” he said.

They like the small-town atmosphere of O’Fallon, he said.

Dan Wunder growing up, new pooch in family

Wunder grew up with two sisters and a brother.

“O’Fallon was the perfect place to grow up,” he said. “It was really nice to raise our kids here.”

And they got a new dog to replace Danny — A Schipperke Pomeranian named Tina, who weighs 10 pounds. The shelter dog’s smallness contrasted to Danny’s large physique.

“She’s about as big as Danny’s head. She’s entertaining,” he said, chuckling.

Former OPD officer supports several organizations

Wunder said he helped support Special Olympics during his career, but his special cause is The BackStoppers, and their premier fundraising event Guns ‘n Hoses, which he has volunteered working for the past 17-18 years.

Founded in 1959, the organization provides needed financial assistance to the spouses and dependent children of all police officers, firefighters and volunteer firefighters, and publicly funded paramedics and EMTs who lose their lives or suffer a catastrophic injury in the line of duty. The regional group supports 18 counties in Missouri and Illinois.

“It’s really beneficial for so many,” he said.

In looking over his career, he is grateful for having lived and worked in O’Fallon.

“After many years of experience, you really realize that,” he said.

Meet Dan Wunder

Q: Do you have words to live by?

A: I have always tried to live by the Golden Rule — “Treat others as you would like to be treated.” I found this to be very helpful as you never truly know what someone is dealing with in their personal lives.

Q: Whom do you most admire?

A: I most admire my parents. They worked hard and made many sacrifices for our family. They instilled in me many traits that I used later in life, like integrity and a strong work ethic.

Q: If you could spend time with a famous person, past or present, whom would it be?

A: Teddy Roosevelt, he was a very no nonsense type of person.

Q: What is the last book that you read?

A: I am reading “Paddy Mayne”, a biography about Lt. Col. Blair “Paddy” Mayne a legendary commander of the British Special Air Services in World War II. Now that I am retired I need to catch up on my reading.

Q: What do you do for fun and relaxation?

A: I like to work on projects around the house. When finished you can step back, admire your work and it gives you a sense of accomplishment. I also love cycling, especially the social aspect and health benefits. Our family is very excited the O’Fallon trail connects now with the Madison County trails.

Q: What is the usual state of your desktop?

A: My desk is my workbench in the garage, it is messy, but I know where everything is.

Q: What did you want to do career wise when you were growing up?

A: Like most kids I wanted to be an astronaut. When I was a senior in high school I was yet undecided, one of my teachers suggested I consider being a police officer — the rest is history.

Q: What do you think is your most outstanding characteristic?

A: I have the ability to get almost anyone to open up and talk.

Q: What irritates you most?

A: It irritates me when people do not do their job. I don’t care if you are the garbage man or the CEO of a large corporation, do the job for which you are paid.

Q: What type of music do you listen to?

A: My favorite music is old county, pre-1990’s like Merle Haggard,Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I liked the diversity of the workload; each day and each call were different than the last. It was very satisfying helping people solve their problems, obviously stressful when their problems went unresolved.

Q: If you were independently wealthy, what would you be doing?

A: I were independently wealthy, I would establish a charity like Habitat for Humanity. I plan to donate some of my spare time to them.

Q: When they make a movie of your life, who would play you?

A: A young Clint Eastwood.

Q: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what would you have with you?

A: A satellite phone?

This story was originally published May 19, 2020 at 12:05 PM.