Attention All Dog Lovers – K-9s in the Park

Did you know that some members of the Glendale Police Dept. are dogs? These dogs make our police department that much better! To keep the K-9 program going is a big task and is funded completely by the community. That is where you come in.

On Saturday, Oct. 22 at Verdugo Park, 1621 Cañada Blvd. in Glendale, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. the Glendale Police Foundation will be hosting its 8th Annual K-9s in the Park event to help fund the Glendale K-9 program. At the event there will be live police K-9 demonstrations, a pet adoption fair, framed photos with your favorite K-9, low-cost pet vaccinations and micro-chipping, pet costume and radar-checked dog speed contests, raffle prizes, K-9 merchandise for purchase, gourmet food trucks and tons of fun. There are also lots of activities for the kids including a rock climbing wall, bounce houses, face painting and balloon animals. This is a great place for you to showcase your business and help sponsor the event. There are several different sponsorship levels available and individual donations are welcome as well. For more information, contact Officer Steve Sholtis at ssholtis@glendaleca.gov. or log onto www.glendalepolicefoundation.org.

The K-9s are much loved in Glendale. Kids and dogs have a natural affinity. Children flock to them at school demos. Adults marvel at their strength, agility and determination. But if you’re a suspect hiding from the police, you’d better watch out! They’re fearsome and formidable when working. K-9s are great at finding lost people, chasing down hidden suspects, finding drugs, evidence, explosives and more. They train rigorously to improve their skills. They’re kept in top condition with their special diet, great medical care, grooming and lots of love. Currently, GPD has four K-9s: Branko and his handler Ofc. Rolando, Idol and his handler Ofc. Sholtis, Jager and his handler Ofc. Feeley and Duke and his handler Ofc. Wilson. In addition the GPD has a drug-sniffing dog named Petey who works out of the narcotics unit along with K-9s Banko and Jager who are certified to detect narcotics and Idol who is trained to detect explosives and firearms. These skilled dogs can keep Glendale safe from drugs, dangerous weapons and terrorist attacks. Since the program began in 2005, the officers saw that their K-9 partners were taking drug dealers off the street, finding dangerous suspects and locating crucial evidence. Many times the dogs go in ahead of the human officer in a dangerous situation to assess it and take a risk that could potentially save the life of the officer they are with. Here is your opportunity to support this amazing program and help keep Glendale and our officers safer.

So how much does it cost to actually keep this program running and what value does it add? First of all, the K-9 unit expenses do not include personnel costs or specialized equipment for the handlers. The purchase/training of just one K-9 is well over $22,000. Then, on top of that, there is an additional $4,250 for the annual cost of health care, food, specialized equipment, maintenance, training and more. Since the average working life of a trained K-9 is five to eight years, there are ongoing significant and recurring costs to maintain working dogs and obtain new dogs. This might seem like a lot of money for these dogs but like the dog caretakers would say, “The security of having a K-9 find the suspect hidden in your yard? Priceless!”

Montrose-Verdugo City Chamber of Commerce: Your source for all things local! Our mission is to actively support and enrich the community, vitality and pride of Montrose, to help preserve the historic district and small town atmosphere, to promote economic stability and positive, productive relationships within Montrose and the surrounding communities.

Upcoming Events
K9s in the Park on Saturday, Oct. 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Verdugo Park, 1621 Cañada Blvd., Glendale.
November business mixer on Wednesday, Nov. 2 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. hosted by YMCA of the Foothills at the New Moon Restaurant, 2138 Verdugo Blvd., Montrose

  melinda clarke