Pomona
Rotary Donates k-9 to the Pomona Police Department
The current K-9 was donated by the Jaycees (junior Chamber of Commerce) about 15 years ago and the Pomona PD was ready to buy a new one. The Rotary Club of Pomona found out about their disposition and it didn’t take long for the Board of Directors to announce a generous donation to the Pomona PD.
For the Pomona Rotary Club, donating a dog to the department was a way of helping out locally. The club, through Rotary International, helps with many causes such as the eradication of polio, said Darren Krohn, a member of the club's board of directors who spearheaded the effort to buy a dog.
A police dog not only helps fight crime, he said, but also helps send a positive message to children encouraging them to stay away from negative behavior. "It's a big, full circle," Krohn said.
In some parts of the country, community and youth groups play large roles in helping law enforcement purchase service dogs. Law-enforcement agencies could probably buy the dogs, but using donations has a benefit. Community groups get buy-in to the community and the Police Department. In addition, residents and officers end up building relationships.
For more information about your local Rotary Club or Rotary International; contact your local Rotarian or log onto www.Rotary.org.