Published: May 15, 2008 11:38 pm      

City police raising funds for K-9s

Johnstown police are looking for a few good dogs.

But canines specially trained for the rigors of law enforcement come with a hefty price tag: More than $6,000 each.

And with one dog retired and two more on the way out, officers are turning to the public for money to keep the force’s K-9 corps fully operational.

“They’re such a tremendous asset to the police department,” Chief Craig Foust said.

Johnstown’s dogs can perform narcotics duties but also are cross-trained to handle a variety of patrol functions, including tracking suspects on the run.

“We’ve had a dog track somebody right to their front door,” city Officer Mike Kanuch said.

While city funds cover the dogs’ daily needs, it is up to the police department to raise enough money to buy dogs and training equipment.

Donations from corporations and individuals help, and officers also work hard to drum up cash.

“We do a lot of fundraising – ticket sales, shirt sales,” Kanuch said.

That process works relatively smoothly when the department is replacing only one dog at a time. But the current situation presents a much bigger challenge: A canine on the job for only about 21/2 years has been forced to retire because of an arthritis problem.

Two other dogs are set to leave the department due to old age, and that would leave only two dogs serving the city.

Foust said the department likely has enough cash to replace one dog. But he estimates that officers need another $14,000 to $15,000 to fill the K-9 ranks.

An event next week at St. Francis University in Loretto will raise some money toward that goal.

The annual training session for K-9 officers is organized by Johnstown’s department and will include cops from across Pennsylvania and from outside the state.

“It’s an advanced seminar,” Kanuch said. “We make a little bit (of money), but not a lot.”