Carson Animal Services Initiative representatives, including chair Lisa Schuette, center, presented a $6,000 donation to the Carson City Sheriff's Office K-9 program Wednesday to provide safety equipment and first aid care for its five dogs. Three of the dogs, including Tico, left, with handler Deputy Jimmy Surratt, Tarzan, center, with handler Deputy Darin Riggin and Blue, with handler Deputy Jeff Pullen to the left of Sheriff Kenny Furlong, gathered for the donation.
The Carson Animal Services Initiative on Wednesday donated $6,000 to Carson City Sgt. Craig Lowe and the sheriff’s department’s K-9 unit to assist with essential safety and first aid items that always are in high demand on the officers’ wish list for their working animals.
“This is a really significant contribution to the unit,” Sheriff Kenneth Furlong said. “We take care of the dogs as part of that all-around concept here. Operationally speaking, these dogs are no different than the officers that work here, and that’s a critical feature.”
The donation will cover items that might be out of reach for the department’s typical K-9 budget. The handlers who care for the dogs and often adopt them into their own families and retire with the dogs after service, Furlong said, deserve all the assistance afforded to them with organizations such as CASI, chaired by Lisa Schuette.
Lowe said having the best equipment available during deployment is important to sustaining a dog’s health until the deputy can get the animal to a veterinarian for treatment.
“Our intention in concert with (CASI’s) objective of animal safety and welfare of Carson City’s community animals is to use the money for safety and direct care to the animals in the event the worst happens,” he said, mentioning he and his fellow officers have other ideas they’d like to bring to Furlong and the department in the future to expand upon to use the K-9 unit.
“This is a great investment for the department,” Furlong said. “The program matured to five dogs (to have one on every shift). … This is ideal.”
Furlong said he expressed gratitude to CASI, the Nevada Humane Society and Carson City.
“We love our dogs, whether it’s our dogs at home or our working dogs, and I think Lisa (Schuette) is an ambassador,” Furlong said. “(The dogs) are such a huge part of the community and represent the community so extraordinarily well.”
Schuette said the donation falls in line with CASI’s mission to reduce animal suffering and build bridges in the community.
“We’re excited about sharing this money,” she said. “We want to see our K-9 unit safe just as we want to see all animals safe. These dogs go beyond to see our community is safe.”
Three of the unit’s dogs, Blue, Tarzan and Tico, ranging in breed from Dutch shepherd to Belgian Malinois, appeared for Wednesday’s presentation with their handlers. Two of the others were unable to join with one handler off due to illness and the other handler and the dog scheduled for the nightshift.
“I’m sure the dog would want to be here, though,” Lowe said.
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