Two pit bulls, Phantom and Sarah, that were either going to be put down or spend their lives in a shelter, were given a second chance at life. Animal advocacy groups Animal Farm Foundation and Universal K9 rescued and gave them to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office in Florida to train as police dogs.
According to a Facebook post by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, they aim to show that departments do not need to spend tens of thousands for expensive dog breeds. By collaborating with law enforcement, they also hope to give dogs destined for a life in shelters or euthanasia another chance.
The two pups, now known as K-9 Phantom and K-9 Sarah, along with their handlers, Deputy Chris Harper and Investigator Heath Woodard, went through extensive training searching for marijuana, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, and methamphetamine. They are single-purpose dogs, meaning they are only trained in narcotics detection.
The Facebook post also mentioned that taking in shelter dogs, rather than expensive German Shepherds, saves taxpayers a lot of money. K-9 Phantom and K-9 Sarah were free. Their expenses like food, leashes, collars, leashes, and crates were paid for with drug seizure money. The only cost incurred was the fuel for the vehicle needed for the two to attend training.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office only spent a fraction of the usual $30,000 to $40,000. And they could not be happier to have K-9 Phantom and K-9 Sarah around. Despite the bad rap that pit bulls get, the department believes that they can do great things for the community.
Investigator Woodard said pit bulls are loving, obedient, and hardworking. They are happy to please. He added that they are very proud of their K9 partners and look forward to many years of working with them.
Credit: Clay County NC Sheriff’s Office via Facebook
