Police begin fund to assure their ability to buy new dogs

The police department has started a fund for a new dog and car.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR PENNSYLVANIA STAFF
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- The future of the New Castle Police Department's canine unit is in doubt.
Police Chief Tom Sansone said one of the department's dogs has been out of service because of leg problems, and the other two are nearing retirement because of their age.
Sansone said the department has started a fund to help pay for new dogs and recently received a $900 donation from Wal-Mart. Some of the money came from shoppers' donations as two of the police dogs performed demonstrations, and Wal-Mart chipped in $500.
The department added that money to a canine account that includes extra money donated from a recent drive to buy one of the dogs a bulletproof vest.
"We hope to use the money for a dog or a vehicle. We want to get the dog first. We can always get a vehicle later," he said.
The cost
The dogs and their training with a handler cost about $10,000 each. The specially equipped cars, which include tinted glass to keep the vehicles cool for the dogs, run upward of $15,000, he said.
The department's dog cars are older and have about 200,000 miles each, the chief said.
The canine unit is now working with only two dogs, because Arris, a German shepherd who joined the department in 1991, has been off for the past few months because one of his back legs keeps swelling.
Sansone said the dog has seen veterinarians at Ohio State University who suspect it may be arthritis. The dog, who is about 5 years old, may have to retire, the chief said.
Others are older
The department's other two canine officers, Rico and Chuck, are older and nearing retirement, Sansone added.
Chuck is a German shepherd who has worked for the department since 1999 and is about 8 years old. Sansone said he expects Chuck to work for another year.
The other dog, Rico, a Belgian Malinois, is also about 8, but may have a little longer working life, the chief said.
Rico joined the department in 2004 after he was surrendered by the Youngstown Police Department because his officer handler was promoted to a new job.
Dave Blosser, the owner of Tri State Canine Services, the agency that trained Rico and placed him in New Castle, said the Belgian Malinois breed often has a longer working life than the German shepherds because they haven't been overbred.
Sansone said there are concerns that a canine officer starts slowing down as it gets older and that can be a danger to the dog and its human handler.
But Sansone says the time saved by having canine officers in the department is invaluable.
What they do
All three dogs are trained to sniff drugs, bombs, search for missing people and chase suspects.
"To try to search for drugs with a person would take 10 times as long as it takes the dogs," Sansone said.
The chief said all three handlers have expressed an interest in keeping the dogs after they retire.
Blosser, the trainer, said it is best the dog retires with the handler because a dog still has the instinct to work and doesn't easily become a house pet.
The three human officers have also told the chief they want to work with new dogs if the department continues the program.
Possible funding source
Sansone said there is a possibility that the department may get funding for a new dog through the Pennsylvania Region 13 Counter Terrorism Task Force sometime next year.
Brian Melcer, director of the Lawrence County Emergency Management Agency, said an additional dog through the Region 13 program would be trained in bomb sniffing, as well as drug detection and apprehension.
cioffi@vindy.com