IRVINE : Local Company Will Fund New Police Dog
City officials have been unable to budget money to replace a police dog that died last year, but a local company is coming to the rescue.
AVCO Financial Services of Irvine will donate $8,000 to buy, train and house a new canine for the force, said Jim Straw, vice president of community affairs. Company executives will present Police Chief Charles Brobeck with a check today.
Bart, the dog that died of natural causes in September, was one of two canines that had served the Irvine Police Department for more than seven years, Lt. Bob Lennart said.
“He wasn’t in the budget for replacement this year. With the state of the economy now, there’s not much hope of putting it back on the budget next year either,” Lennart said. Since Bart’s death, the department has been operating with one dog.
He said Bart participated in about 1,000 searches and helped officers nab more than 400 criminal suspects.
“Many of those we would have never been able to find without him,” Lennart said.
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