The Vancouver Police Department is asking for donations to buy two new police dogs.
One of the city’s dogs, Kenai, is scheduled to retire in June. Another, Spencer, had to retire early, according to a bulletin from police spokeswoman Kim Kapp.
In Vancouver, such dogs cost about $9,500 each and are used to sniff out illegal drugs and find fleeing, often dangerous suspects. They also improve officers’ safety and save time by quickly searching large, inaccessible or dangerous areas.
Police want to field four trained dogs with handlers, Kapp said.
To raise money, police are working with dogpaw, a nonprofit that’s name stands for Dog Owners Group for Park Access in Washington.
Donations can be made to dogpaw or directly to the police department.
To learn more, visit dogpaw or call Special Operations Sgt. Kathy McNicholas at 360-487-7442.
