Most residents believe the Mohave County Sheriff’s K-9 Program is funded by the state and the county, and that can no further from the truth.
The K-9 Program receives no funding from the State of Arizona, the county, or the Sheriff’s Office. It operates solely on donations from businesses and concerned citizens.
Because of this, the Mohave County Sheriff’s K-9 Foundation has a continuing need for donations for their ongoing effort to help support the MCSO K-9 Program.
“Every month, we pay for their food, their vet bills, and equipment needed such as vests and booties for their feet in the hot weather,” said K-9 Foundation officials. “We can’t send the K-9s out to track someone in bare feet. We have to keep them safe while they work since the work, they do benefit the entire community and helps keep all of us a little safer.”
The foundation currently provides financial support to Mohave County Sheriff’s Office four deputy/K-9 teams assigned to the MCSO K-9 Program.
They include:
• Deputy J. Felish, along with his K-9 partner Brutus, patrols the Arizona Strip area;
• Sergeant K. McCool, along with his K-9 partner Chase, patrols the Kingman and Golden Valley areas;
• Deputy J. Wilson, along with his K-9 partner Doc, patrols the Fort Mohave, Topock and Mohave Valley areas;
• Deputy K. Gunnoe, along with his K-9 partner Bruno, patrols the Kingman and Golden Valley areas; and
• A fifth handler-K-9 team, Deputy S. McClery and his K-9 partner Grimm, will complete their certification soon and join the ranks of the MCSO K-9 Program during mid-August. He and his K-9 will be assigned to the Lake Havasu City region.
“Once Deputy McClery and his K-9 partner Grimm finish their training, they will join our K-9 team,” Sheriff Doug Schuster said. “This is a great asset to our citizens and deputies as we will continue to aggressively attack illegal drug trafficking and work diligently to rid our streets of this illegal poison.”
The sheriff wanted to stress that even though the deputies and their canine partners are assigned to a normal patrol area, if someone needs a K-9, they will respond wherever they are needed.
As part of fundraising efforts, the foundation continues to partner with individuals and business throughout the county, and has started a Go Fund Me account that can be accessed at https://www.gofundme.com/mohave-county-sheriff039s-office-K-9s. The foundation also maintains a website at https://mcsK-9f.com and people can donate there by using the “donate” button.
“We rely on the support of the foundation as they are invaluable to the success of the program,” Sheriff Schuster said. “People are very excited countywide about our K-9 Program. I too am very excited about it. I look forward to deploying these K-9s in an ongoing effort to reduce crime, especially drug related activity.”
Randy Gallagher, the owner of Gallagher’s Dining & Pub, located at 3524 McCoulloch Blvd N., Lake Havasu City, recently presented a $990.00 check to K-9 Foundation Board Member Ginnie Howardson. The proceeds were from two comedy weekend shows at Gallagher’s during June. According to patrons of the dinning and pub, they were great shows, good people, great food and lots of fun.
K-9 Foundation officials will host an informational booth at the Route 66 Country Music Street Fair Sept. 21-22, on Beale Street in Kingman, and also at the Laughlin River Lodge 3rd Annual Car Show Nov. 1-2, in Laughlin.
K-9 Foundation will also host the K-9 Car Show from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, October 27, at the Mohave Market Place, 5480 AZ-95, in Fort Mohave, Ariz.
All proceeds from the car show will benefit the Mohave County Sheriff’s K-9 Foundation and will be utilized to support the MCSO K-9 Program.
The car show is open to classics, rat rods, customs, regular cars, trucks and motorcycles. “We do not discriminate; it can be that old banged-up-beater vehicle that has been passed down from family member to family member over the years,” said foundation officials. “If it has an engine, runs and can be driven into the car show, we’ll be excited about it and will accept the entry. If car dealerships have a vehicle or vehicles they would like to highlight, we’ll accept their entries too.”
Cost of an entry for the car show is $35 per vehicle and the first 125 entries will receive a special T-shirt and goodie bag.
For those who would like to make a sponsorship donation of $50, $100 or more, their names will be prominently displayed on a “sponsorship board” during the car show. For further information about the car show, call Foundation Treasurer Cheri Ahlemeir, and sponsorship forms and entries can be sent to her at 4043 Segundo, Bullhead City, AZ 86429.
The Mohave County Sheriff’s K-9 Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization and all donations are a tax-deductible contribution.
People who would like further information about Mohave County Sheriff’s K-9 Foundation, would like to host a fundraiser event or would like to make a tax-deductible donation, call John Sanchelli at (651) 270-0920.
Make a difference in your community by teaming with the Mohave County Sheriff’s K-9 Foundation in its efforts to maintain the MCSO K-9 units and to take a bite out of crime! -Butch Meriwether
