TROUP, TX (EAST TEXAS NEWS) – Four years after losing their dog, Luke, the Troup Police Department is ready to bring back the K-9 program to the department.
However, since the program isn’t included in the budget, the department has turned to the public for help. In just two weeks they’ve nearly reached their $15,000 goal.
The funds will help obtain another narcotics-detection dog that is “bite-free” and single-purpose. The department said they expect to obtain another black Labrador, but they’ll see what they can obtain. The funds will also cover the officer’s training, the kennel, veterinary bills, the equipment, and the food. The department said that Luke and the K-9 program were an integral part of their service to the community and that they would like to bring back this program.
“A dog, although a living being, is also another tool in a patrol officer’s belt. That dog will help him find additional narcotics that perhaps he wouldn’t have been able to obtain without one,” said Kyle Stowers, Troup Police Department patrol sergeant. “If it’s hidden in a compartment the dog can’t reach, the dog will be able to smell it. The dog will be able to warn him, and, hopefully, it will help cleanse our community even more.”
On Saturday, May 14, Dixie Masonic Lodge 272 will host a final fundraiser. Any funds that exceed their goal, Stowers said, will remain in the K-9 program for the dog’s ongoing care.
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