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OAKDALE, Calif. --
Budget cuts are forcing the retirement of a pair of police dogs in Oakdale.
Oakdale police Chief Marty West said he had to lay off two K-9 officers, and that his priority is keeping sworn human officers on the street.
K-9 officers find drugs and help out in dangerous situations, but the department could not justify the costs.
"A well-trained canine working with an officer has been selected for the position. Ordinarily, it costs anywhere from $12-to $15,000 dollars depending on the provider that you select to do the training. Then you've got the ongoing costs of food and veterinarian expenses," West said.
West said the dogs' presence and their barking has a psychological effect on people who try to elude authorities, and that their absence will be a loss to the department.
Ceeto, one of the K-9 officers, will be going home with his handler, Sgt. Joe Carillo.
"He's great with the family, great with the kids. He knows when he's at work and he knows when he's at home, and he's able to turn that off and on," Carillo said.
Another K-9 officer, Shadow, is elderly and will be retired with a family.
The department is cutting more than $300,000 from the annual budget by laying off support staff and freezing some positions.
Story From: kcra.com
Budget cuts are forcing the retirement of a pair of police dogs in Oakdale.
Oakdale police Chief Marty West said he had to lay off two K-9 officers, and that his priority is keeping sworn human officers on the street.
K-9 officers find drugs and help out in dangerous situations, but the department could not justify the costs.
"A well-trained canine working with an officer has been selected for the position. Ordinarily, it costs anywhere from $12-to $15,000 dollars depending on the provider that you select to do the training. Then you've got the ongoing costs of food and veterinarian expenses," West said.
West said the dogs' presence and their barking has a psychological effect on people who try to elude authorities, and that their absence will be a loss to the department.
Ceeto, one of the K-9 officers, will be going home with his handler, Sgt. Joe Carillo.
"He's great with the family, great with the kids. He knows when he's at work and he knows when he's at home, and he's able to turn that off and on," Carillo said.
Another K-9 officer, Shadow, is elderly and will be retired with a family.
The department is cutting more than $300,000 from the annual budget by laying off support staff and freezing some positions.
Story From: kcra.com