Page 26 - TPA Journal January - February 2019
P. 26
Keeping Texas Communities Safe and Connected:
Animal Farm Foundation’s Detection Dog Grant Program
with Sector K9
by Wes Keeling
As a 15-year veteran police officer in the Dallas- between officers and community members.
Fort Worth area, I have worked successfully in
both criminal interdiction and K9 units. My first Sector K9 and Animal Farm Foundation have
experience in a K9 unit was with a shelter dog partnered to give many law enforcement
turned police K9 who was trained in narcotics agencies an opportunity to obtain a shelter dog
detection/tracking. Since then, I have assisted who has been transformed into a police K9. AFF
numerous departments in the development of provides us with a grant to cover the training of
their K9 Units. the dog and officers. This means that we can
provide the K9s to police departments free of
I founded Sector K9 to give law enforcement charge, resulting in a significant cost savings.
agencies an experienced perspective and provide Through this remarkable program, we save
practical training for their K9 teams. Sector K9 taxpayers and police departments much-needed
uses multiple instructors who are active law funds, while providing stellar K9s to make
enforcement officers, allowing teams to obtain communities safer. We are proud to have trained
up-to-date, real-life training. dog detection teams for many police
During the course of my work with K9s, I have departments and schools in Texas and
developed a love for shelter dogs and worked nationwide.
closely with dogs labeled “pit bull”, who are
commonly thought to be vicious not only in the Together, Sector K9 and AFF’s trainers select
law enforcement community, but also the civilian shelter dogs from across the nation who exhibit
population. I appreciate these dogs’ willingness the necessary characteristics and drive for
to work, their personality, and their overall detection work. Once a dog has been vetted for
demeanor. aggression, and other personal characteristics,
the dog enters the program. The dog is then
At the core of Sector K9 is the belief that a dog’s trained in detection work for one of the
breed should not limit his/her opportunities in following: narcotics (methamphetamine,
life. This is in keeping with our partner, Animal cocaine, heroin, and marijuana), weapons, gun
Farm Foundation (AFF), a national nonprofit that powder, and/or tracking.
believes society has to be proactive and inventive
when it comes to creating positive change. We Once we choose which police department will
share the commitment to ensuring that the K9s receive the dog, the selected handler travels to
we train become an integral part of the our facility in Texas for a handler course. These
communities they serve. It’s not just about courses are typically two weeks in length. Upon
stopping crime when it happens—it’s also about the completion of this course, the K9 team is
preventing crime by building relationships given the opportunity to certify through an
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