The Friends of the Reading Police K-9 Unit has announced the creation of the Reading Police Retired K-9 Fund, which is dedicated to the dogs who have protected the community and officers.
The nonprofit organization is dedicated to raising funds to maintain the Reading Police K-9 Unit. Supported and sanctioned by the Reading Police Department and the City of Reading, The Friends of the Reading Police K-9 Unit’s mission is to financially support the unit.
“These pups work so hard for most of their lives it’s important to take care of them so they can enjoy retirement. Thanks to the Friends group and the community that is now something that will happen. We are truly grateful for this opportunity!” said FTO Joshua Faust/Retired K-9 Trooper.
The creation of the retired K-9 fund provides emergency veterinary care to the retired K-9s, who have given their lives to protect and serve the community.
“This fund adds a new dimension to our mission. With this we hope to continue to show our love and gratitude even after the K-9 retires. It is the least we can do for their service to the community” said Keith Claytor, President, Friends of the Reading Police K-9 Unit.
This fund will help to offset the emergency medical expenses of K-9s after they have been retired from the City of Reading Police Department.
The fund will not cover regular wellness care, but is intended to assist with expenses that extend from issues that have been caused by injuries/wear and tear caused by their service, as well as issues that arise which are catastrophic and life-threatening.
These expenses can be too much for their handlers to bear and could result in the euthanasia of the K-9. In this fashion, the organization intends to take care of the Handler/K-9 teams who have given their all to the community.
“As a Handler we will always do our best to give our furry heroes a good retirement but sometimes the finical burden of medical care, due to their service, is too much for us to handle. Knowing that this fund is available to our retired partners is a relief” said officer Hector Santiago/K-9 Hemi
