Grant pays for Lynnwood police dogs

Published 10:50 pm Sunday, October 11, 2009

LYNNWOOD — Bad guys in Lynnwood beware.

Thanks to a new grant, there will be plenty of police dogs to chase crooks and sniff out illegal drugs for years to come.

The city’s police department announced a $5,000 award from Del Monte Pet Products and Milk-Bone in partnership with Fred Meyer.

“This is really an honor to be able to get this grant,” Lynnwood police spokeswoman Shannon Sessions said. “We are really grateful to be receiving this.”

As part of the Milk-Bone Canine Heroes Program, the Milk-Bone nationwide police dog donation program helps law enforcement agencies add to or maintain dogs. More than 900 police and service dogs have been sponsored by Milk-Bone across the country since 1997.

The money will be used to purchase a new dog when one of the city’s German sherpherds retires.

Lynnwood’s working dogs range in age from 4 to 7. Vader is the youngest.

“Sandor is our oldest police dog with more than 7 years under his collar and he’s a machine, still very healthy and hardworking,” Sessions said. Barring any injury or illness, Sandor should be able to work for a couple more years, she said.

Magnum, 5, who goes by “Buddy” was purchased with a Milk-Bone grant the city received just before his birth.

“It’s hard to say what the projected work life is of any police dog,” Sessions said.

Typically, the animals work for about seven years, but it depends on the specific dog, wear and tear, and the dog’s workload.

After retirement, the animals usually remain with their officer handlers as pets.

“These animals do a very special job and are an important job in law enforcement,” Sessions said. “They often are the heroes in saving human officers’ lives.”

Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437, jholtz@heraldnet.com.