San Luis Police ask for donations to bolster K-9 unit

YUMA, AZ (AZFamily) — As a border city, the San Luis Police Department relies heavily on their K-9 unit.

Any drugs coming across the border can easily be detected by one of their K-9 police dogs.

Gino is a seven-year-old Belgian Shepherd who has been fighting crime with the SLPD for three years.

SLPD’s three K-9 units are dual-purpose. They specialize in locating drugs and apprehending people.

Certified handler lieutenant Damian Miller said the dogs work the same number of hours as an officer plus eight hours of training each week.

Miller said these canines are especially handy at keeping drugs off the streets.

“We see everything first hand, especially from them locating drugs. They come through here that’s where it starts so it’s very crucial that we have that tool to combat the crime,” he said.

Miller helped develop the K-9 unit back in 2010. There’s been lots of progress, but they hope to expand soon by adding more dogs to the team.

“They are very necessary and the more training we put into it the better the outcome is,” he said.

They need donations to buy and train more dogs and help replace training equipment. Things like toys, leashes, and treats are often left out of the city’s budget.

“We’re trying to see if with the donations we can buy food as well so it won’t cost the city money,” he said.

Miller said anything goes a long way. The best way to donate is to email the San Luis Police Department at SLPDinfo@sanluisaz.gov.

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