Pa. borough residents want council K-9 reinstated

JEFFERSON HILLS, Pa. (AP) — Residents of a western Pennsylvania town want borough officials to throw its lone K-9 police dog a bone.

More than 75 people attended a Jefferson Hills borough council meeting Wednesday night in support of Fritz the police dog. The borough stopped using the dog last month, saying the K-9 program isn’t cost-effective.

Fritz’s owner and handler, Officer Chris Gawlas, told the council the dog has saved his life and the lives of two other officers. The dog is trained to locate drugs, guns and search for fugitives.

Borough officials say the problem is high overtime costs, some of which stem from times when other municipalities don’t reimburse the borough after calling for the dog’s assistance.