- K-9 officers from Northampton and Lehigh counties will be participating in demos on Saturday, Sept. 9
- The public performance is to raise money for the K-9 Kop Project, a nonprofit for K-9 officers and their dogs
- The event will take place at the Petersville Rod and Gun Club in Bath
BATH, Pa. — They can sniff out drugs, locate the missing and protect their partners in the line of fire.
A pack of the Lehigh Valley's highly-trained police dogs will strut their stuff at the Petersville Rod and Gun Club's Basket Social on Saturday, Sept. 9.
It's the second year the club, located at 550 Club Road in Bath, is hosting a fundraiser for the K-9 Kop Project, a nonprofit that raises money for K-9 police units in the Valley and Northeast PA.
In 2022, its gun club social raised close to $4,000 for the cause.
The dog that started it all
The nonprofit was founded in 2014 by Vickie Richards.
Its first feat came to be when Richards, a veteran of the U.S. Army and animal rescuer, collaborated with business students from five local colleges on their intern program initiatives.
"They had an internship that involved doing something community-related and they all enjoyed animals, so I asked them to pick a project related to animal rescue," she said.
"At the time, Allentown Police Department was retiring a canine, and they were in need of another police dog and that's basically how I got started."
Richards and the students helped the department raise funds to purchase Remi, a Belgian Malinois, who joined the Allentown Police Department's K-9 Unit in 2015.
The 10-year-old police pooch specializes in narcotics and patrols, alongside Allentown Police Officer Talden Cashatt.
'Zero funding' for K-9s
"What I learned after purchasing Remi was that a lot of K-9 units across the United States don't have funding," Richards said. "Everyone assumes it's part of their tax funding, but they're not. Most K-9 units have zero funding and rely on the public for support."
The K-9 Kop Project is able to support police departments in acquiring canines, as well as obtaining leashes, harnesses, kennels, and training classes through public events, private donations, and state grants.
Locally, Richards estimates the K-9 Kop Project has helped 20 police departments.
"Once COVID hit, it changed the playing field in the fact that I was getting a lot of requests within the U.S. and that was because other canine officers who were funded through their community and relied on them ... those were shut down during COVID," she said.
Therapy dogs, expert sniffers
Police departments almost always purchase K-9s from dog trainers, who specialize in preparing the four-legged, brave pups for a career in policing.
"The trainer has the knowledge of the what the officer is going to need. Every department is different. Some of them are going away from the apprehensive canines and starting to work with single-purpose dogs that are used for scent work for bombs or ammunition," Richards said.
The K-9s are then paired up with their respective officer and the two become certified together to patrol, mitigate crime, and safeguard neighborhoods.
In recent years, police departments have also been purchasing therapy dogs.
Case in paw: Grace, an adorable Labrador retriever, joined the Lehigh Valley University Police Department in 2022.
Similarly, in Berks County, Oliver, a bright-eyed Bernedoodle, was brought on by the Cumru Township Police Department in January.
"Everyone assumes it's part of their tax funding, but they're not. Most K-9 units have zero funding and rely on the public for support."Vickie Richards, K-9 Kop Project
"I'm really happy to see that. It's fairly new, but departments across the U.S. are finding that therapy dogs are not only good for public relations, but it's also great for the officers," Richards said. "Therapy dogs are a joy to be around when you're going to work."
Romeo, Mikki and Boomer
At Saturday's shindig you can wag along with K-9 officer Mikki, from Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority Police Department, K-9 officer Romeo, from Colonial Regional Police Department, and K-9 officer Boomer, from Northampton County Sheriff's Department.
The trio will participate in training demonstrations with their handlers including going over a range commands.
After the show, attendees can say hello to the policing pups — but with caution.
"Most K-9s are friendly. Some canines are never going to be approachable. It's not to fault of the trainer, the owner, or the canine. They're just plain crazy," Richards said.
"In general, in the way that they are trained is that when the police dog puts on their vest or they're in the car, they know they are working. However, they're very nice when it comes to being greeted or touched."
The Basket Social runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Entry is $20 and includes food, drink and access to the K-9 demonstrations, and other live entertainment.
For info, click here.
