(STORY IMAGE:KHQ.COM)
SPOKANE, Wash. -It's that time of year where graduates are donning their caps and gowns. Tonight there was a different kind of graduation- the four legged kind. The Inland Northwest just got 5 new resources when it comes to taking crime off the streets.
It takes months for a police K-9 to complete training before they can join the force. The following K9s and their handlers completed a grueling 10-week course with more than 400 hours of training:
Deputy Nicholas Ward and K9 Zuza from Yakima County
Deputy Nicholas Overland and K9 Chewbacca from Grant County
Officer Brandon Fabian and K9 King with the Spokane Police Department
Officer Nicholas Steward and K9 Chief with the Moses Lake Police Department
Chief Loren Culp and his new dog K9 Karma with the Republic Police Department.
Late last year, Republic PD lost their only drug dog when K9 Isko passed away unexpectedly.
The department was hoping to rebuild their K9 program by raising money through a Go Fund Me page and they also got a little unexpected help from a rock legend.
Ted Nugent, donating a signed fender guitar, also wrote on his Facebook page: "Trying to help a great little town and great law enforcement heroes get a new K9 hound."
The owner of Phoenix Protective Corporation saw that post and offered to pay for and train Karma, who was rescued from a kill shelter out of California.
Karma has been a busy boy in the community he now calls home.
"The first day that we got back to Republic, we were called out and searched a vehicle and narcotics were found," Chief Culp said. "He's gotten five criminal cases right now- before we even came to this school."