BLACKSBURG, VA -The Blacksburg Police Department is adding a K9 to its force after a local woman was determined to make a difference when it came to fighting drugs.

Lorraine Hodge took part in the department’s Citizen’s Police Academy where participants learn about day to day operations of the PD. She says the K9s were brought in to do a demonstration on sniffing out drugs.

Hodge said she completed the academy wanting to help fight the drug problem but didn’t know exactly how she could help until she realized she could pay for another dog for the department. “Seeing the dogs and that’s what they do is track drugs and when you see the drugs are in almost every unit we talked about including good old traffic stops that might be for speeding, they need a dog,” she said.

Hodge’s donation allowed the department to purchase Mika, a one-year-old German Sheppard. She and her grandchildren came up with the name.

Mika has been training for nearly seven weeks. It can cost more than $10,000 to buy a narcotics dog and train it.

Blacksburg Town Council recognized Hodge for her donation at its meeting Tuesday night.

Source: http://www.wjtv.com/story/25076142/blacksburg-woman-donates-money-for-police-k9