Meet Gavin Buchanan. He’s 5 years old, and has a heart of gold. He also has a soft-spot for man’s best friend.
Gavin is from Benicia, California.
He’s been saving up his chore money, and money he got from the tooth fairy.
But Gavin wasn’t saving for candy, or toys. He had something far more important in mind.
He saved up $100 and donated it all to help buy a bullet proof vest for a police dog.
Gavin had the honor of presenting the vest to “Eddie” a K-Nine from the Palo Alto, Police Department.
“Eddie” was in Alameda, California yesterday where many of the dogs were competing in a Police K-Nine competition.
Police at the event were touched by Gavin’s gift. “At 5 years old, that’s a huge amount of money and we’re absolutely grateful and thankful for him doing such a thing,” said one officer.
Look out, criminals: There are some new K-9s in town.
Six police dogs and their handlers recently completed their four-month training with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and are ready for duty at area law enforcement agencies.
FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina — A memorial is being dedicated to dogs who have served in the special forces.
A life-sized, bronze statue of a Belgian Malinois is scheduled for dedication on Saturday in Fayetteville at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum.
Organizers say it will be the only memorial to special operations K-9s in the world.
The memorial is located on a parade field with paver stones of North Carolina granite. Each stone bears the name, country of origin and year a special operations dog was killed.
HOUSTON – Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Houston police officers captured an inmate on Monday evening in downtown Houston about two hours after he ran from deputies while being booked into county jail.
A HPD helicopter crew helped located Johnathon Richmond, 29, hiding in underbrush on the south bank of Buffalo Bayou at Austin and Commerce about 50 yards from the jail’s inmate processing center at 7:15 p.m.
The crew used thermal detection equipment to identify the escapee’s likely location and directed a boat crew and officers on foot to the inmate.
Richmond was returned to jail in a patrol vehicle. Investigators said he has used several aliases and was booked into jail Monday night as Timothy Sonnier, 31, police said.
In addition to the Jefferson County larceny warrant that led to his arrest during a traffic stop, he was also a fugitive on charges of aggravated robbery and injury to a child, deputies said. Harris County District Clerk’s Office records also show he was charged in Harris County with giving false information in 2013 and 2007 and marijuana possession in 2007 and 2002.
The man was charged with felony escape late Monday evening. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said it will review booking procedures.
Find out how man’s best friend has become crime’s worst enemy! Canine cops are a great resource to snuff out crime in Houston. Learn how these hero hounds have been recognized in a big way. and with your help could get the “barking rights” around town.
Senior Cpl. Dave Nails of the Dallas Police Department helped Baron show off a Kevlar vest Thursday at the Hall of State in Fair Park.
Argo, Baron and Pico are used to chasing after bad guys, unprotected and unarmed, except for their teeth. But now the Dallas police German shepherds and eight other dogs from K-9 units in McKinney and Holliday, outside Wichita Falls, have new bullet-resistant and stab-proof vests, courtesy of Vest ’N PDP. “These dogs are going in the danger before us,” said Senior Cpl. Armando Dominguez, Pico’s handler. “They will confront people before we can get to them. … These vests are definitely going to help.” Dallas resident Carol Archer helped bring the vests to Dallas, working as a liaison with Vest ’N PDP, which stands for police dog protection. During a citizen ride-along with Dominguez, she asked why Pico didn’t have a vest. “There was an armed suspect and here come all the officers,” Archer said. “And I see the dogs, ahead of everybody with nothing.” So she contacted Susie Jean, a New Mexico resident who created Vest ’N PDP about a decade ago after watching an episode of America’s Most Wanted in which a K-9 was killed. The dog managed to knock down the criminal who shot him, but then fell at his handler’s feet and died. Having just lost two of her own German shepherds to cancer, Jean empathized with the police officer and was shocked to learn that many police dogs work with no protection. “I called my local police department, asked if they needed [vests] and raised the money,” Jean said. Since then, she’s vested 733 police dogs in 43 states. Dominguez said police K-9s are killed almost weekly, and although Dallas police haven’t lost a dog, there have been close calls. The local K-9s will now be outfitted in Class 3 bullet- and stab-proof vests made of Kevlar, a synthetic material used in military armor. The dapper dogs modeled their new accessories Thursday in a presentation at the Hall of State in Fair Park. “It makes the dogs safer; it’s like a police officer wearing a vest,” Sgt. Tracy Smith said. “They’ll only wear them on certain calls, especially in the heat.” According to Jean, the vests can cost $16,000 per department, but she gets them at $750 a vest from her supplier. “A lot of times, departments can’t afford the vests,” said Jean, whose organization relies on public donations. Archer hung posters of Dominguez and the now-retired Pico at Dallas pet stores, and local donors helped pay for 11 vests for dogs from Dallas, McKinney and Holliday. Jean transported them in her RV from New Mexico. “I’m proud of the public,” she said. “I am a one-person organization, but it takes teamwork to make this possible.”
K9 handler Bryce Lewis gives Billy, a 2-year-old Golden Retriever, a belly rub while meeting the media at the Provo Police Department Tuesday, July 16, 2013. Billy is one of two new bomb sniffing dogs at the police department.
PROVO– While other officers were out on patrol or doing investigations, the newest members of the Provo Police Department spent Tuesday morning playing fetch.
Billy, a two-year-old golden retriever/labrador mix, and Zima, a three-year-old German Wirehair, joined the police department a month ago after they were donated to the Provo Police by the Department of Defense.
The two dogs will be employed as bomb dogs after they go through eight weeks of intensive training. The dogs were originally selected by the Department of Defense to be part of their K9 bomb squad, but Officer Drew Hubbard with the Provo Police Department says that Billy and Zima didn’t meet the rigourous standards set by the military and were put in a program that donates dogs to local police departments.
“We are very grateful to have this tool in our city,” Lt. Matt Siufanua said. “Last month we had four EOD calls and had to go outside to the county to get dogs. Now we have those tools here and immediate access when we need it.”
Officer Hubbard and Det. Bryce Lewis, both members of the Provo Police Bomb Squad, were selected as the handlers for the two dogs and will make Billy and Zima part of their families. Hubbard says the dogs will go through eight weeks of training where they use toys to train the dogs on 16 different smells associated with bombs, guns and other explosives.
“The toy will be the reward. They are trained and once they smell the explosive they know they get to play,” Hubbard said. “Even when out on jobs if they find anything they get a reward.”
Hubbard says the dogs will be useful in being more proactive about protecting the city, rather than waiting for something to happen. Siufanua says the dogs will be used at major events like the Utah Valley and Provo Marathons, the Freedom Festival and the Stadium of Fire, in addition to responding to everyday calls. Lewis says that now when calls of a suspicious package come in, they can send Billy or Zima in to smell the package and determine if it is dangerous rather than deploying the entire bomb squad to dispose of the package safely.
“This is going to be an awesome tool for the city,” Lewis said.
Through the program with the Department of Defense, Provo didn’t pay anything for the dogs, which typically cost between $5,000 and $10,000, but will have to pay for their training and care. Once Billy and Zima complete the eight-week training they will have to spend four hours a week in training to keep up their skills. Lewis says they will be taught to sniff out black powder, dynamite and a number of chemicals used to make homemade explosives.
But training the dogs isn’t always an easy task. Hubbard, who will be Zima’s handler, says she has a very high drive and harnessing that will be a challenge.
“She wants to do nothing but play and hunt,” Hubbard said. “We want her to be obedient but don’t want to subdue that drive. It will a challenge to harness that energy.” Zima had been picked to be a breeding dog for military but was let go after having a stillbirth and has no bomb training. Billy has minimal training in bomb detection but both dogs will start training in August.
“Billy and Zima will play an extremely valuable role in Provo,” said Mayor John Curtis, “Unfortunately we live in an increasingly dangerous world and we have to take a more proactive role in protecting our city.”
Billy and Zima bring the total number of bomb dogs in Utah County to five and 18 statewide. Siufanua says that both dogs will be used for calls throughout Utah County.
It may be the dog days of summer in Houston, but not so for Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) K-9 deputies Boomer and Tommy. These hard-working, elite canine officers, who are available 24/7 for duty, have been nominated for the American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards 2013. Winners are decided by public voting held online now through July 30.
K-9 officers arrive at HCSO trained in handler protection, but then go through a rigorous 14-week HCSO training course with their handler to learn tracking, scouting, building searches, vehicle stops, and drug or bomb training. Most law enforcement K-9s are German Shepherds or Belgian Malinois, cost $12,000 and retire after 5-8 years of service. K-9 Boomer and K-9 Tommy are black German Shepherds who take a bite out of crime every day with a proven record of finding drugs, explosives, and bad guys on the run. In almost two years with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, K-9 Boomer has helped take more than $6 million worth of illegal drugs off the streets and assisted in the arrest of 26 suspects accused in crimes involving narcotics, evading arrest and/or burglary. K-9 Tommy, a new addition and rising star on the HSCO team, has aided in cornering 36 suspects, found an elderly missing man and located important evidence in a sexual assault case.
It may be the dog days of summer in Houston, but not so for Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) K-9 deputies Boomer and Tommy. These hard-working, elite canine officers, who are available 24/7 for duty, have been nominated for the American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards 2013. Winners are decided by public voting held online now through July 30.
K-9 officers arrive at HCSO trained in handler protection, but then go through a rigorous 14-week HCSO training course with their handler to learn tracking, scouting, building searches, vehicle stops, and drug or bomb training. Most law enforcement K-9s are German Shepherds or Belgian Malinois, cost $12,000 and retire after 5-8 years of service. K-9 Boomer and K-9 Tommy are black German Shepherds who take a bite out of crime every day with a proven record of finding drugs, explosives, and bad guys on the run. In almost two years with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, K-9 Boomer has helped take more than $6 million worth of illegal drugs off the streets and assisted in the arrest of 26 suspects accused in crimes involving narcotics, evading arrest and/or burglary. K-9 Tommy, a new addition and rising star on the HSCO team, has aided in cornering 36 suspects, found an elderly missing man and located important evidence in a sexual assault case.
It may be the dog days of summer in Houston, but not so for Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) K-9 deputies Boomer and Tommy. These hard-working, elite canine officers, who are available 24/7 for duty, have been nominated for the American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards ™ 2013. Winners are decided by public voting held online now through July 30.
K-9 officers arrive at HCSO trained in handler protection, but then go through a rigorous 14-week HCSO training course with their handler to learn tracking, scouting, building searches, vehicle stops, and drug or bomb training. Most law enforcement K-9s are German Shepherds or Belgian Malinois, cost $12,000 and retire after five to eight years of service.
K-9 Boomer and K-9 Tommy are black German Shepherds who take a bite out of crime every day with a proven record of finding drugs, explosives, and bad guys on the run. In almost two years with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, K-9 Boomer has helped take more than $6 million worth of illegal drugs off the streets and assisted in the arrest of 26 suspects accused in crimes involving narcotics, evading arrest and/or burglary. K-9 Tommy, a new addition and rising star on the HSCO team, has aided in cornering 36 suspects, found an elderly missing man and located important evidence in a sexual assault case.
Winners from each of the eight hero dog categories (Service, Therapy, Hearing, Emerging Hero, Military, Guide, Search & Rescue, and Law Enforcement/Arson) will be announced on August 6 with their respective charity receiving $1,500. The finalists receive airfare and accommodations for two to attend the American Humane Association’s Hero Dog Awards™ Gala held October 6 at the Beverly Hills Hilton in Los Angeles. The overall Hero Dog of the Year winner will be announced that night with the winning dog’s charity receiving an additional $5,000 for a total of $6,500 total prize monies. Harris County Sheriff’s Office has named K9s4Cops as their charity recipient.
To vote today for K-9 Boomer and K-9 Tommy, please visitwww.herodogawards.org/contestants, look under “Choose a Charity Partner,” click on K9s4COPS, the wonderful Houston-based group that donated the money for HCSO to acquire many of our special dogs. Hit the voting button and cast your vote daily for K-9 Boomer and K-9 Tommy. You can also vote directly from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office website at http://www.harriscountyso.org/community_engagement.aspx.
Senior Cpl. Dave Nails of the Dallas Police Department helped Baron show off a Kevlar vest Thursday at the Hall of State in Fair Park.