New bill would alleviate K-9 handlers’ financial strain.
There are about 50,000 active police dogs in the United States. These highly trained dogs help seize drugs, sniff out explosives, detain criminals, locate missing people, and uncover forensic evidence. There are countless stories of police K-9s making the ultimate sacrifice to defend officers, protect civilians and save lives.
These police dogs, known as K-9s, are trusted partners for law enforcement officers, represent an integral component of many police departments, and contribute immensely to public safety.
But police K-9s are expensive, and this is a major barrier for police departments looking to add a four-legged deputy to their teams. Some estimates suggest that police dogs, on average, can cost between $15,000 and $45,000, and the cost of training one can top $10,000. Not to mention that feeding these dogs and keeping them healthy are costly endeavors often covered out of pocket by the dogs’ handlers.
Read more at The Washington Times: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/mar/22/law-enforcement-officers-and-police-dogs-deserve-o/
By Rep. Randy Feenstra
Police dogs illustration by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times