Police dog programs across Kentucky have a new source of money after seized drug funds dried up.
Horizon Community Foundation of Northern Kentucky announced the KY K9 Fund on Oct. 26, a charitable fund to help law enforcement agencies pay for the purchase, training, equipment and ongoing care of police and public safety dogs, according to a foundation press release.
The fund addresses a gap that opened after Kentucky legalized medical marijuana. Dogs trained to detect marijuana cannot tell the difference between legally authorized and illegally possessed marijuana, the NKY Tribune reported. The foundation says marijuana-trained dogs’ inability to distinguish lawful from unlawful possession has complicated their use in searches.
Kenton County Commonwealth's Attorney Rob Sanders stepped in and purchased six new K9s for police departments using funds seized from drug dealers. Those funds are now exhausted, according to the foundation.
The KY K9 Fund picks up where Sanders' effort left off. It covers active-duty dogs and retired K9s to help reduce handlers’ out-of-pocket costs after a dog retires. The fund's beneficiaries include police K9s, bomb-detection dogs, electronic device detection K9s, search and rescue teams and courthouse facility dogs.
Nancy Grayson, president and CEO of Horizon Community Foundation of Northern Kentucky, said in a statement that the fund gives the community a way to support K9 teams "regardless of budget constraints." Specialist Michael V. Lusardi, a Covington Police K9 handler and KY K9 Advisory Board member, called the dogs "the unsung heroes of policing."
The fund is open to donations through the foundation's website. Whether Boone County agencies, including the Boone County Sheriff's Office and Florence Police Department, currently operate K9 programs or plan to seek support from the fund has not been confirmed.
Residents who want to contribute can visit the KY K9 Fund page.
