REPUBLIC, Wash. – A new K-9 is on its way to Republic Police Department after a Spokane Valley company heard about the passing of K-9 officer Isko.
When Phoenix Protective Corporation's vice president Jagrut Shah heard about K-9 Isko's passing through musician Ted Nugent's production manager, he offered to purchase a new dog for the Republic community.
The company also provided funds for the training of K-9 Karma alongside Chief Loren Culp at K-9 Specialized Training and Consulting in Oakley, California. K-9 Karma and his human counterpart are almost two weeks into the training.
“K-9 Karma is a top-notch Narcotics and Officer Protection/Apprehension K-9,” Culp wrote in a Facebook post. “He has had extensive training and is very good at what he does.”
K-9 Karma is a one-and-a-half-year-old male German Shepherd rescued from a high kill shelter. Culp wrote that his new companion has already demonstrated a desire to protect him.
Right now, K-9 Karma is trained to “bark and hold” rather than bite, which means he will bark once he finds the suspect. He will be dual trained in narcotics detection and patrol.
K-9s require extensive training to receive certification from the State of Washington. Culp said he has contacted the Spokane Police Department and hopes to enroll K-9 Karma in their next Patrol K-9 School later this spring.
Republic Police Department officials said they hope to cover the cost of equipment and training through fundraising.
Nugent and his wife had posted a GoFundMe campaign for the new K-9 to their Facebook pages. The rocker also donated an autographed electric guitar for a fundraising raffle.
