Marion County Sheriff's Office Canine Program Receives $20,000 Anonymous Donation

Deputy Shawn Bush with Max Photo: Marion County Sheriff's Office

(Salem, Oregon) - The Marion County Sheriff's Office Canine Unit received a $20,000 donation from a Salem resident on Friday morning.

The donor, who wished to remain anonymous, contacted the Office last week inquiring about donating money to assist with the purchase of a police canine. After meeting with Sr. Deputy Skip Lumley, who is a former K9 deputy and Lt. Bob Stai, who is the head of the K9 program, he made the decision to contribute to the program.

The donor is a US Navy veteran who served on a Navy riverboat in Viet Nam. During his service, he came to heavily rely upon a canine he named "Bos'n". The dog was trained to "sniff out" enemy ambushes near where the Navy boats were being launched. He has maintained a life-long appreciation for service dogs.

Our K9 Unit is funded by donations from the public. Lt. Stai commented, "Half of this donation will be set aside for the purchase of a replacement canine when that time comes. The remainder of the donation will be dedicated to the equipment, training, veterinary bills and general upkeep of the dogs".

In presenting the check to Sheriff Jason Myers, the donor commented, "I wanted to do something to help out; to support local law enforcement. I really appreciate the service the Marion County Sheriff's has provided this county. I thought this donation would reflect that appreciation"

Sheriff Jason Myers thanked the donor, saying, "This generous contribution means so much to our canine program. On behalf of all of our canine deputies, I thank you". The Sheriff invited the donor to observe a canine training session on Friday afternoon. Deputies Tpdd Swendsen & "Milos", Jeff Stutrud & "Renzo" and Shawn Bush & "Max" participated in the training demonstration.

The Sheriff's Office K-9 Unit consists of seven canine teams dedicated to both routine patrol and narcotics detection. The team has one German Shepherd, four Belgian Malinois, and two Labradors.

Patrol dogs are primarily trained to track suspects who have fled from crime scenes. They are also trained to conduct building and area searches for criminal suspects, to protect their handler and to prevent violent offenders from escaping and posing a risk of danger to the community.

The detection dogs are trained to detect narcotics substances. One is assigned to the Jail to prevent the distribution of drugs to inmates, although, he is also called upon to assist Detectives with search warrants or vehicle searches to locate narcotics.

The K-9 Unit routinely conducts public demonstrations at schools, churches or community events. If you would like to request a canine demonstration contact the Sheriff's Office at 503-588-7981.

A qualified K-9 costs approximately $10,000. They are purchased through donations. The donation process is detailed on our website: www.co.marion.or.us/SO/EnforcementDivision/k9.htm

News Release from: Marion Co. Sheriff's Office