K-9 Donations Increase during Holiday Weekend

By Jonathan Weaver

A County fund to collect money for a new K-9 officer collected about $1,000 from community supporters during the holiday weekend.

During the past few months, Sheriff Bill Rupert has advocated so his department can acquire a narcotics-detection K-9 for both in the field and in the classroom.

“People are behind us,” Sheriff Rupert said. “Besides being for narcotics detection, it’s going to be a great education tool – we can’t arrest our way out of this drug problem. We have to aim a lot more of our efforts toward education.

“Whatever we can to get the message across to stay away from drugs. I think it’s a wonderful tool for us as the Sheriff’s Department, the County’s Drug Task Force and the local police around here to have.”

The Sheriff’s Department first and only K-9 officer so far has been “Gallahad” – who was handled by Sheriff Deputy Earl “Bud” Floyd beginning in April 1997.

Floyd and Gallahad worked together before Gallahad was retired in 2006. Gallahad was later laid to rest due to health issues.

Floyd retired in December 2012 and passed away in February.

“With (Deputy Floyd’s) health going downhill, (Sheriff Larry Crawford) never replaced Gallahad because we didn’t have a handler at the time. After I took office, Sheriff Crawford and I spoke and said he always liked it, that it was a good thing to have and (thought) it was a good idea if we started it again,” Sheriff Rupert said.

The new K-9’s handler is to be Deputy Theresa (Potts) Gipson – a former U.S. Army veterinary technician who began with the department in September.

“With her experience being a vet tech and handling the dogs overseas, she said someday she’d like to be a K-9 handler – which I thought was a good fit for (the Sheriff’s Department),” Sheriff Rupert said.

“She’s young, she’s experienced and she has the desire to be a K-9 handler, so what better time to start the ball rolling?”
Sheriff Rupert presented his plan to the three Armstrong County commissioners and County Treasurer Amanda Slagle-Hiles in April and set up the fund. He hopes to collect about $40,000 in donations by May 2016.

“We’re looking to fund this dog solely by donations from the community. My plan is to pay for this solely out of fundraising,” Sheriff Rupert said. “We’ve set a goal of $40,000.”

The dog himself would cost about $13,700 – which includes six weeks of handler training – but that does not include special equipment for the Sports Utility Vehicle, vehicle temperature control and a proper cage.

Slagle-Hiles said the account is set up through Elderton State Bank to receive the best interest rate.

“We’re very excited to see him start this program and help in any way we can,” Amanda Slagle-Hiles said.

To minimize funds, Sheriff Rupert applied for a $10,000 Ben Roethlisberger Foundation grant – the same grant Kittanning Borough received for a K-9 in February 2013 before council members chose to discontinue discussions.

Still, Kittanning Borough Councilwoman Kim Fox is excited about the possibility of a drug-sniffing dog at the county level. She already gave funding from the previous fundraising account to Sheriff Rupert’s new fund.

“I am very, very excited – I’ll do anything I can to help,” Fox said. “(Kittanning) is really lucky because we’re the county seat, and we’ll probably benefit more than anybody.”

The closest narcotics-detection dog is in Butler County or Indiana County.

“If we have an incident where you need a narcotics dog, you have quite a long time to wait,” Sheriff Rupert said.

Sheriff Rupert and Deputy Gipson have already toured Shallow Creek Kennels in Sharpsville (Mercer County) and thought about some other kennels across the state or in North Carolina. Armstrong County was recommended to utilize a German shepherd rather than a Belgium Malinois (which “Mibo” – the District Attorney’s bomb-sniffing dog - is a breed of).

“We want a dog that can be around people in the courthouse, but yet, can be a working dog when required,” Sheriff Rupert said.

Sheriff Rupert worked with “Mibo” while Detective Mark Heider was training and also with the former County dog “Cliff.” In 1997 before he went to the police academy, Sheriff Rupert also gave a Beaver Falls German shepherd “Art” a retirement home following his police service.

“I’ve always held a spot in my heart for the K-9s and the handlers, the bond that they have,” Sheriff Rupert said. “Any dog wants to please its master. It’s a pretty amazing thing how they work.”

The K-9 would reside with Deputy Gipson and her husband, Nick, in Shelocta. The only U.S. Army mission Deputy Gipson had with a dog was search-and-rescue in Haiti following a 7.0-magnitude January earthquake January 12, 2010, but she already felt the urge to pick one out following her trip to Shallow Creek Kennels.

“I’m excited. I worked hard for this – I’m ready for it,” Deputy Gipson said.

Deputy Gipson also trained her own Husky Pitball mix – two-year-old “Izzy.”

Future fundraisers including the Bud Floyd Memorial Golf Outing September 26 at White Oak Golf Course in Dayton and perhaps a purse bash this winter, but for now, businesses or resident donations can be made out to the “Armstrong County Sheriffs K-9 Fund” t 500 East Market St. Kittanning, PA 16201.

 

5 Comments

• 

  By Robert Terwilliger, July 8, 2015 @ 2:30 PM

  I would like to see where the candidates for county commissioner stand on this issue. We need to consider the ongoing cost of boarding the dog and training of officers. It was not long ago that Kittanning Borough said no to getting their own drug sniffing dog because of the ongoing cost. I believe they even had a grant lined up to cover the initial cost to obtain a dog, but still said no. On the surface, it is a great idea, but let’s dig deeper to determine if it is worth the price.
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  By worthingtonman, July 9, 2015 @ 10:49 AM

  Maybe they could have used the money they blew on new uniforms and jackets towards the drug dog. I don’t see the State Police making too many sweeps with the dogs they have. Why can’t the county rely on them if they have a concern? The ongoing cost of this dog and handler is something that will never go away. With that said and done, I don’t see the commissioners turning them away. They like to spend Taxpayer money.
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  By concernedformykids, July 9, 2015 @ 4:38 PM

  I too am concerned about the costs, however if the dog can “find” one stash of drugs, and put one dealer away(of course the AC DA would have to do his job instead of cutting deals and putting them back on the street in a few days) it may save one life. To me it would be worth the cost to save a life. I would hope that the Armstrong County Drug Task Force could put the dog to good use.
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  By mark, July 9, 2015 @ 11:05 PM

  Need a school? Build it. Need a 911 center? Build it. Need a athletic field? Build it. Need a dog? Buy it. What`s the problem?

  Doubt families with an addict are gonna anti-up for a dog tho…

  Can we squeeze the cash out of the unemployed/retired taxpayers? Sure!

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