Roseburg (KMTR) Police say adding the K-9’s to their patrol has been a goal for a long time. Now, after numerous fundraising efforts, years of research and preparation, Roseburg is welcoming the dogs to the force.
Ido, (pronounced ee-tow) and Sato, (pronounced saw-toe) arrived from training in Germany and the Czech Republic on the 17th of September.
Now they're spending time getting to know their new partners, who will also double as the dog's caretakers. Police say not only are the k-9s great crime fighters but they help connect the police and the public.
They say the dogs are a great public relations tool, and the folks tend to warm up to an officer with a K-9.
Police say community support that has made the K-9 program possible. Nearly all the funds raised for the dogs, was from volunteer’s time and donations.
That community support doesn't seem to be slowing down. Now that the dogs are trained, their handlers will need to be taught how work with them. The Springfield police have volunteered to do so, for free.
The dogs are expected to walk their first beat sometime in November.
