The Westport Police Department announces the addition of Police Service Dog (PSD)Chase as the newest member of the Westport Police K9 Unit. PSD Chase is a two yearold Labrador retriever who was obtained from Guiding Eyes for the Blind in December 2014 and will be handled by Officer James Baker. The team has been training since then and is expected to be certified this month. Officer Baker and PSD Chase will join Officer Jim Loomer and PSD Koda in the K9 Unit. The addition of PSD Chase will bring the unit back to full strength since the retirement of PSD Ellie.

The K9 Unit has never been a budgeted unit within the Police Department and has existed since its beginnings in the late 1980s through generous donations from the community, as well as continuing long-time support from Dr. Joan Poster of the Poster Animal Hospital and Bill Mitchell of Mitchell’s of Westport.

With the addition of a PSD Chase, the Westport Police Department needs additionalassistance from the public in raising funds to cover the costs associated with hispurchase, training, and care.  As “Chase” joins our ranks, we will be able to better serve our community by locating lost or missing persons, locating criminal suspects, detecting illegal drugs, searching buildings safer with fewer officers, protecting our officers and residents from physical harm, and attending demonstrations for local groups, Scouts, block parties and more. To help offset the cost incurred with the purchase and training of PSD Chase, theTrap Falls Kennel Club (TFKC) has set up a GoFundMe page with the goal of raising $10,500 to be donated directly to the Westport Police Department K9 Unit.

AKC Reunite, an affiliate of the American Kennel Club, will also provide matching funds of up to $5,000. The PSD Chase GoFundMe page can be found at:

http://www.gofundme.com/oge6gc

Any additional money raised over our goal will be used for future K9 Unit related expenses. The Trap Falls Kennel Club (TFKC) is an active, non-profit all-breed member of the American Kennel Club since 1968. TFKC is devoted to the betterment of the purebred dog and is an advocate for the purebred and mixed breed dog as a family companion. Additionally, TFKC strives to promote responsible dog ownership in the community through public education programs and events. As such, TFKC has spearheaded the effort to bring a new police dog to Newtown, Connecticut following the Sandy Hook tragedy when their dog retired and died unexpectedly. Trap Falls Kennel Club also helped to raise funds for a new police dog for the Orange Police Department and the Monroe Police Department.