Law enforcement officers are great facilitators of things, and a Florida-based program has now gone to the dogs but in a positive way…with a police program called K9 for a Day helping get homeless shelter dogs adopted by loving families.
The Clearwater Police Department partnered with the Humane Society of Pinellas County whereby the police agency sort of chaperones dogs from the animal shelter, providing them with much-needed exposure, with the hopes that interested parties seeing the animals interacting with cops decide to adopt the canines. A win-win-win, as I see it.
- Homeless canines get a bit of respite from the ordinarily confining concrete quarters of a county animal shelter.
- Extraordinarily stressed police officers have an opportunity to spend time with furry creatures who don’t necessarily talk back, enabling interactions whereby decompressing stems from the buddy-like tendencies between humans and doggos.
- Prospective adopters enhance their families by adding a loving animal to the mix.
We could also consider a fourth win: The animal shelter forging a partnership with the local police force, successfully facilitating a better life for each dog exiting the county dwelling and onto new pastures.
K9s for a Day
Per a Clearwater PD bulletin published December 26, 2023: “Our two recent K-9s for a day, Polly and Paella, have found their fur-ever homes, according to our friends at Humane Society of Pinellas! We love our partnership where we have their puppers visit the police station and take photos of them in an effort to increase their adoption chances. We can’t wait to meet the next one in January!”
The comingling of cops and available canines came with some heartwarming imagery, too.
(Photo courtesy of the Clearwater Police Department.)
It comes as no surprise that cops and canines always bond well together, in this case, each providing a sense of jubilation, albeit for a brief period. Happy endings can come from different species interacting, each one’s senses detecting the virtues of love, compassion, security, and an aura aglow with acceptance. Throw in a bone, a chewy treat, or even a stick…and you likely have a match made in Heaven.
(Photo courtesy of the Clearwater Police Department.)
One of the files I maintain as a law enforcement writer is tabbed as “Cops who help save animals.” It is not only regarding dogs, cats, and stray ducklings in sewer drains…but also wonders of wildlife such as owls, eagles, and all manner of non-domestic species. Thankfully, it is an electronic registry; if it were old-fashioned manila file folders, it would be bloated with plenty of poundage.
You have likely seen pictures of law enforcement officers depicted embracing all manner of animals, saving them from the public domains that could be harsh and detrimental (vehicular traffic), and carefully escorting them to animal hospitals for rehabilitation or rescue organizations renowned for rehabbing various species.
Every animal I found while on midnight shift duty wound up taking the edge off mounds of stress heaped by humans doing inhumane things: each animal-related episode was a fortuitous feat in calming this cop.
Mostly loose dogs wandering the dark streets at night, those befriended by me or any of my squad-mates were befriended by treats, after which rapport was developed, then corralled in one among a compilation of dog kennels located on the southern flank of Police HQ. Food and water bowls were heaped by officers and monitored/refilled by public safety dispatchers whose breakroom was nearby.
This process and set-up catering to the dogs were necessary since the county animal control employed a skeletal crew during the midnight shift, so our department manifested a sort of layover station until a civilian animal control officer responded to “take custody.”
Some law enforcement agencies are large enough and have among their various service deliveries animal control officers whose specialties involve locating, trapping, kenneling, and transporting found wildlife to county shelters and human societies.
Speaking of human societies, we circle back to our main topic: K9s for a Day with local police personnel, resulting in loving homes.
Home for the Holidays
How befitting that a few shelter dogs showcased by the Clearwater cops were gifted with forever homes for Christmas!
It didn’t take long at all…
“Great news! Starting Wednesday, Dec. 20, and through Saturday, Dec. 23, adoption fees are waived for all pets 6 months and older at Humane Society of Pinellas — that includes these precious puppers, Polly and Paella [both pictured in this article], our CPD K-9s for a day for December.
“Polly [pictured in the back of a police cruiser above] is a total sweetheart that’s between 1 and 2 years old and is a mixed breed. She’s a smart dog that learns quickly. Paella [pictured in our cover photo] is a husky mix that is 2 years old. She’s energetic and loves car rides to the park. ‘Home for the Holidays’ is made possible by donations from Lost and Found Pets of Pinellas County and the Fran Haasch Law Group Accident & Injury Lawyers,” a Clearwater Police public information officer wrote on their website.
Incidentally, the law group mentioned is a devout supporter of all first responders in the Tampa Bay region, advocating for law enforcement, fire/rescue, and military members. Another example of community relations with cops coming together for the good of all —in this case, Polly and Paella— with adoption-facilitating police Officer Josey-Filer’s face lavished with loving kisses.
The Humane Society is “Pinellas County’s largest no-kill shelter dedicated to preventing animal homelessness.” Thanks to Clearwater PD showcasing canines, hearts were made happy for the holidays, with more “K9 for a Day” events planned in 2024.