K9 units often need additional help to keep going and be well funded. The K9 unit of the Redlands Police Department raised $20 000 thanks to stuffed animals.
The Mexico Cafe in Redlands held its 12th annual Dollars for Dogs fundraiser over the week. The goal was to bring in between $10 000 and $12 000 for the unit, Redland Daily Facts reports.
In the end, the total sum was $20 000. Quite a lot of the money came from the sale of K9 themed stuffed dogs. Each stuffie features a cute pup in K9 attire including a vest and a nametag.
Currently, the Redlands K9 unit has one dog called Chewy and a new pup who joined the force this month. “Our goal is to be able to supply Chewy and the new dog with everything they need. Obviously, the new dog is going to be an apprehension dog and that requires a little different equipment from Chewy, but definitely necessary”, Redlands police Officer Patrick Estrada said.
Chewy, who is a narcotics dog, and her new handler met with supporters throughout the day, even posing for selfies. Proceeds raised came from tips, private donations and the sale of T-shirts and stuffed animals.
The Redlands Police Department started its K9 program in December 2008. Sadly, K9 programs often are difficult to fund for police departments so they rely on donations. Hence, this is where Dollars for Dogs comes in. It keeps the program going strong and able to expand and develop.
Also, the department is looking for the community’s help to name its new K-9, a 2-year-old, 70-pound male German shepherd. Contestants can submit up to two entries by email at k9namecontest@redlandspolice.org. Also, names must be suitable for a male dog, have no more than nine letters and must be one or two syllables long, the release said.
Furthermore, contestants must live or work in Redlands or attend a school within the Redlands Unified School District to be eligible to win a meet-in-greet with the currently nameless pup, Chewy and their handlers. Entries are due June 27. Finally, the department plans to name its top 10 finalists June 29, with the winning name announced June 30.
