By Lisa Gutierrez
The Kansas City Star
LEAWOOD, Kan. — People around the world are falling in love with 5-year-old Oliver Davis all over again because the little boy who wants to be a policeman has a new partner.
Her name is Ruby, a soft-haired Wheaton terrier who recently joined the Davis household in Overland Park.
Oliver calls the 5-month-old puppy his “police dog.”
Oliver became a viral star last year when his mom, Brandi Davis, began chronicling her son’s visits to local nursing homes — dressed in full kid-police regalia — on Facebook. The Kansas City Star caught up with Oliver in November.
His popularity brought a call from “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” right before Christmas. They interviewed Oliver via Skype.
“They said he did really well,” his mom said. “It was a really long time for him to sit, like an hour.”
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Over the holidays Oliver’s friends in the Leawood Police Department gave him police-themed gifts, including official stickers for his kiddie motorcycle “so he could be just like them,” Brandi Davis said.
Soon after, Oliver got to meet the mayor of Leawood when he was honored during a banquet. He rode his little motorcycle to the stage.
A few weeks ago, the family’s dog, a 15-year-old Yorkie named Lilly, died of kidney cancer. Because Oliver and his two older sisters had never had a puppy, their parents bought one.
Within the first week of Ruby’s arrival, Oliver announced: “This is my police dog.”
So his mom hit the internet again to search for a police costume for Ruby, then signed her up for obedience classes.
Oliver thinks of it as a police academy. “He thinks she’s his little partner,” Davis said.
Together they “police” the neighborhood, Ruby patiently riding behind Oliver on his motorcycle.
“She is very crazy and so is he,” Davis says with a laugh. “That’s why I think they get along. She is constantly going, so he walks her. We take constant walks to wear her out.”
Last month Davis posted a video of the new partnership on her Facebook page that caught national attention once again.
Inside Edition featured the budding partnership. Recently, The Dodo, a website for stories and videos about animals, posted a video about Oliver and Ruby. Media inquiries from around the world began flooding Davis’ email box.
“Someone wrote to me, ‘Oh he’s all over England. I love it,’” she said.
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Never once has Oliver faltered in his admiration for police.
As evidence, take what happened two weeks ago.
Davis saw a small fire burning in a neighbor’s backyard and called 911.
After firefighters put out the fire they gave Oliver — on the scene in his ever-present blue police uniform — a ride in the firetruck and let him help roll up the hoses.
Did we change your mind, they asked him? Do you want to be a fireman?
“No,” said Oliver. “I still think policemen are cooler.”
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©2017 The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Mo.)