Drug dog joins Kennett police department

KENNETT, Mo. -- The Kennett Police Department recently purchased a drug dog through Canine Unlimited. The dog will be active with the department after an upcoming 10-day certification period for the handler and canine.

The department purchased the dog, which was funded through private donations, on Jan 26.

Canine handler Mark Dennis said the dog was purchased through Canine Unlimited instead of the United States Air Force, which was the original plan, because it was discovered that the Air Force had an 18-month wait to visit and see available dogs.

"This didn't even mean that they would necessarily have a dog available at that time," Dennis said.

The dog purchased is a little over 3 years old and is an International Prufungorden 3 dog, which is the equivalent of a master's degree for a person, Dennis said. The IPO is a set of international working tests for canines with levels 1, 2 and 3.

Dennis said that through the donations made by individuals and businesses, the department was able to fully equip the canine police car with an in-car kennel, decals, tinted back glass, extra warning lights and a bail out system that is used to pop the door open if the dog is needed quickly.

The donations also helped the department purchase a body armor vest, a bite sleeve, an overdose kit, first aid kits and other training aids and supplies for the canine.