Police Foundation raises funds for horse and canine units at annual Hoof and Woof Walk

Man’s best friend and his noble steed were celebrated Saturday at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center during the Burbank Police Foundation’s third annual Hoof and Woof Walk.

The event, which raises funds in support of the Burbank Police Department’s K-9 and mounted units, got off to a festive start, signaled by the deejay playing “Who Let the Dogs Out” while attendees — both the two-legged and four-legged, tail-wagging varieties — took to the field to walk a couple laps.

While the dogs were having fun, a group of equestrians, including Burbank Police Chief Scott LaChasse and Councilwoman Emily Gabel-Luddy, enjoyed a scenic trail ride.

Guests were treated to a demonstration by the Burbank Police Department’s K-9 unit — how an officer and his canine partner work together in hostile situations. With help from the Glendale Police Department, Burbank Sgt. Adam Cornils, who was named the department’s public information officer in March, talked guests through live demonstrations of various scenarios, which often ended with Burbank police dog, Steevo, bringing down a man — posing as a criminal — in a bite suit.

Sgt. Kerry Schilf and his wife, retired Burbank police officer Carol Schilf, brought their horses and demonstrated the skills they have developed as members of the mounted unit.

Kerry Schilf explained that the mounted unit began during the 1950s to patrol transient camps along river banks, where motorcycles could not work or police found it too difficult to traverse. The horses were eventually replaced by off-road vehicles, but the mounted unit was revamped in 1995, he said.

In addition to ceremonial duties, the mounted police officers can be deployed in search-and-rescue operations and for crowd control.

“One horse equals eight people on the ground,” Kerry Schilf said, while riding atop his partner of 11 years, his 1,200-pound quarter horse, Texas. “So if you can imagine, if you have 20 horses on the ground, how many people that equates to… Twenty horses equals 160 police officers pushing back a crowd.”

In addition to participating in the walk, several dog-rescue organizations brought along some of their dogs in hopes they could find them good homes during the event. Several vendors touted their pet-related services, including a CPR-training course that used furry mannequins to teach humans how to save their dogs, and a pet psychic, who for a $20, 10-minute session, offered to communicate with guests’ pets.

Guests also got a close-up look at the work of an equine hoof-care specialist, or a farrier, who filed down a horse’s hooves and applied new shoes, all while answering questions.

Among the distinguished guests was actress Linda Blair, a former Burbank resident best known for her role in “The Exorcist.” Blair served as grand marshal and spoke about her pet-rescue organization, the Linda Blair Worldheart Foundation.

Officer Timothy Dyrness, who was recently recognized as Burbank’s “Officer of the Year,” helped Michael Hastings, former Burbank Mayor and president of the Burbank Police Foundation, emcee the event. Dyrness also led the crowd in a “Happy Birthday” sing-a-long for Hastings.

In addition to supporting the Burbank Police Department’s K-9 and mounted units, proceeds from the event go toward the foundation’s Matthew Pavelka Scholarship, named after the Burbank Police officer who was killed in the line of duty in 2003.

“[The police] used to have to go out and do this, raise the money,” Hastings said. “We’d rather they just do their job, which they do a great job in doing… We just want to keep the Burbank Police Department No. 1 in everybody’s eyes, ears and hearts.”