COWICHE, Wash.- Law enforcement and brewers are coming together to raise money for some special officers.
The annual Bite the Brewer, Dunk the Deputy fundraiser works to support K9 officers in the valley.
The Yakima Valley K9 Foundation funds and provides all equipment and training to all eight units in the county.
“We found that all the canines used in our county were privately funded,” says YVK9F board member Dale Panattoni. “It’s not paid out of any of the budgets for the police department or sheriff’s office.”
K9s Simcoe, Zorro, Roo, Justice, Astro, Anita, Grom and Luka work across five Yakima County agencies, all supported financially by the foundation.
“He’s doing a lot of good things,” says Officer Zanotelli. “Not only finding drugs but boosting morale with staff and the community.”
Since taking over, Luka has sniffed out drugs in the county jail 24 times, as well as paying visits to other Washington facilities offering his skills.
Zanotelli and Luka went through months of training and certifications before taking over. The expenses all covered by the foundation.
“The cost of a dog can range anywhere from $15,000 to $40,000 by the time you add in the cost of the dog and the training,” says Panattoni.
“We probably wouldn’t have Luka,” says Luka’s handler. “All the Luka stuff, his kennel at home, his foods, the vet bills are donated.”
At the fundraiser, the community added to the funds through donations, K9 stuffed animals and tickets to dunk law enforcement officers.
Yakima County Sheriff Deputies took most of the stage, before Sheriff Bob Udell and Yakima Interim Police Chief Shawn Boyle joined in the fun.
Along with the dunking, Cowiche Creek brewer Derrick Nordberg put on the tackle suit for every $1,000 raised to get bitten by a K9. Handlers also walked their dogs through other demonstrations, much to the delight of families.
“I make sure that I bring Luka over,” says Officer Zanotelli about Luka’s interactions with children. “It kind of helps them with their fear of dogs, and they get excited when they see him. And we want a positive atmosphere for law enforcement.”
