CRESTVIEW — The Crestview Police Department is more than two thirds of the way to its $30,000 goal needed to acquire and train two police dogs to reconstitute its K-9 unit.
“We have a puppy!” Officer Sam Kimmons said Monday morning. “We have enough to purchase a canine and we’re $125.40 into the next dog.”
By Tuesday evening, however, a more than $5,000 donation from the estate of a late, dog-loving Fort Walton Beach lady brought the fund over $20,000, Police Chief Tony Taylor said.
"Her attorney said this is just the sort of cause she would have liked to support," Taylor said.
Two Saturday fundraisers included a doggie luau at Pawsitively Scrumptious featuring bikini-clad pooches, doggie pools and dog food tastings. The effort raised $300.
At Beef ‘O’ Brady’s, uniformed and civilian-clad officers, including Chief Tony Taylor, raised $1,950 in tips by waiting tables under the restaurant wait staff's supervision.
The Beef ‘O’ Brady’s contribution brought it to third place on the fundraiser’s leader board, Kimmons said. Sonic Drive-Through restaurants are in second place with a $2,000 donation.
The two biggest donors will receive naming rights to the police dogs when the fundraiser concludes, Kimmons said.
Kimmons said the police department will wait to purchase both German shepherds at the same time so that the dogs and their handlers can all train together.
WANT TO HELP?
The Crestview Police Department welcomes donations toward reconstituting its K-9 unit. Make donation checks payable to the Crestview Police Department Auxiliary. Contact Officer Sam Kimmons, 305-7831 or kimmonss@crestviewpd.org, for details.
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Weekend fundraisers, $5,000 donation take K-9s fund over $20K