Page 52 - February 2017

Members Only Section
st t es to ene t
c n ne n ts
n BY DAN CAMPANA
Off in the corner, Chicago Police K9 Si- mon appeared plenty content chewing on a bone and playing with a toy while the hu- mans nearby announced a summer program to benefit police dogs and other four-legged animals around the city.
But, when called upon, Simon did his part
hamming it up for a photo with handler Of-
ficer Pat McGrath as part of the launch of the
K9s for Cops public art campaign that will
see 54-inch German shepherd statues pop-
ping up downtown this summer. McGrath,
who has worked the canine unit for six years, considers the program a perfect tribute to the dogs who do danger- ous work to protect their human partners and citizens.
“Canine is by far the hardest I’ve worked,” McGrath said. “I’m in absolute awe of the work these dogs do. I’m just lucky to hold the leash.”
K9s for Cops aims to pick up on the recent success of the Horses of Honor program, which placed along Michigan Avenue several equine statues artistically decorated to honor fallen po- lice officers. The horses raised $800,000 through sponsorships over two years.
Although smaller in size, the canine statues will serve an equally important role in raising money for the Chicago Police Memorial Fund and PAWS Chicago. CPMF has donated nearly $8 million to the families of officers killed or catastrophically injured on duty. In 2016 alone, the foundation provided $600,000 in help to those families.
CPMF Executive Director Phil Cline said the K9 art program — which hopes to place 200 dogs on the Mag- nificent Mile from late July through Labor Day — brings together two “great organizations ... working together on an endeavor that highlights the work of Chicago’s premier artists while honoring the real canine police officers and their canine partners who keep Chicago safe.”
The weatherproof fiberglass German shepherd dogs can be sponsored for $2,000. The sponsor will then be paired with a local artist to create a unique design for the dog before it is displayed publicly. Sponsors have the option to purchase the dog for $500, otherwise it will be available to the public as part of a later auction, according to the memorial foundation.
PAWS Founder Paula Fasseas praised the work of K9 of- ficers and their handlers for doing “many great things.” Currently, the CPD has 65 canines working around the city at the airports, on drug and bomb details and in vari- ous types of searches.
“We want to honor the police dogs, too, so a portion of the funds PAWS will receive will also be going to the po- lice to help those dogs that wear vests, or (for) whatever needs they have,” Fasseas said at a January press confer- ence. “We partner with police every day. Police are always bringing us animals that are given up that they would like us to take on and heal and get well and get adopted.”
McGrath knows the responsibility he and Simon share daily as they support patrol officers and specialized units around the city. From tracking bad guys, to finding miss- ing people and assisting in drug searches, Simon and McGrath share an “unmistakable bond” serving their col- leagues and the community.
“These dogs make police officers feel safe,” McGrath said, adding he hopes the art initiative exceeds the goal.
52 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ FEBRUARY 2017
For more information, visit www.chicagok9s.com.d