The effort to bring back the Morgan Hill Police Department’s K-9
unit last August was a community initiative, coordinated by a local
nonprofit organization that supports law enforcement programs.
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The effort to bring back the Morgan Hill Police Department’s K-9 unit last August was a community initiative, coordinated by a local nonprofit organization that supports law enforcement programs.
The Morgan Hill Community Law Enforcement Foundation presented the department with a check for $75,000 in July, paying for the roughly $10,000 purchase of four-legged officer Pax, and the bulk of the costs associated thus far with a program the city has not been able to afford since 2004.
And CLEF has committed to continuing to fund the program with donations it has received as long as Pax is able to serve, which is about six to 10 years, according to CLEF president David Cohen. The foundation also plans to fund Pax’s replacement when he retires.
“The K-9 unit is a value because a dog can go places that police can’t, and people are very quick to surrender to a dog with sharp teeth,” Cohen said. “Putting (Pax’s handler) officer David Ray on the streets with Pax is like having three officers.”
Expenses other than Pax’s purchase that CLEF plans to cover include his training, which will continue as long as he is on patrol, medical care and food.
On top of that, the Morgan Hill Downtown Association has raised about $1,000 to purchase a protective bullet-proof vest for Pax. Association President Jorge Briones said the organization is ready to make the purchase, and they are just waiting for Pax to stop growing.
“We’re waiting for him to fill out so it becomes a piece he can use for as long as he’s in service, provided the vest doesn’t get compromised,” Briones said. That should be soon, as Pax is almost 2 years old, about the time his German Shepherd breed typically stops growing.
The Downtown Association collected most of the money for the vest with donation jars placed in businesses throughout town.
“The K-9 unit is there to protect the community, and this is about the community being able to give back in,” Briones said.
And picking up Pax’s medical care, and even a pet insurance policy, is Morgan Hill veterinarian Dr. John Quick, who is on the CLEF board of directors. Quick noted the insurance policy, for which he pays about $600 per year, will cover any emergency or catastrophic injuries Pax sustains and he is not equipped to treat.
“One of the concerns from a medical perspective is he’s dealing with bad guys. If someone hurts him it’s likely to happen when I’m not open, and it’s likely to require more serious care,” Quick said.
He has treated police dogs in the past, and Pax is “the most people-friendly dog we’ve ever had,” he added.
The reinstatement of the K-9 unit was CLEF’s first goal, and now that that is accomplished, Cohen said the foundation has future plans to assist the MHPD with the purchase of equipment such as digital cameras, dashboard cameras and portable defibrillators.
