Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Sheriff’s office ‘going to the dogs’
From 5 to 9:30 p.m. today at WCU’s Farrell Stadium, dogs will take center stage at the annual Cruise Night.
WEST CHESTER » If you tell Chester County Sheriff Carolyn “Bunny” Welsh that her office has gone to the dogs, she might not totally disagree.
Last year, the Sheriff’s Department celebrated the 10-year anniversary of its K-9 program. The Chester County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, financed primarily through private donations, consists of nine handlers and 10 canines.
On Friday, from 5 to 9:30 p.m. at West Chester University’s Farrell Stadium, the dogs will take center stage at the Sixth Annual Cruise Night, a major fundraiser for the program. Admission is free.
Befitting its name, the free, family-friendly event will feature an impressive array of vehicles: Thirteen classes – from antiques and hot rods to stateof-the-art law-enforcement cruisers – will compete for cash prizes.
But it’s the K-9 teams who are expected to steal the show during a performance that will start at 8 p.m. During the K-9 Showcase, the teams will demonstrate their various proficiencies, giving the public an insightful opportunity to see their skills, such as ferreting out an illicit stash, determining the presence of explosives, or recovering a lost person.
Chester County’s representatives will be joined by teams from some of the regional departments that have received instruction in Chester County, which now boasts three certified trainers: Lt. Harry McKinney, who heads the unit, and Deputies Paul Bryant and Brian Bolt.
The dogs specialize in explosives, narcotics, accelerants and cadaver detection. The most recent addition to the team is a comfort canine used primarily for special victims.
McKinney estimated that Chester County’s K-9 teams each average about a 100 calls a year. Those numbers represent a 10 percent increase from the previous year and enable the office to respond to multiple requests in a single day.
While one team is checking student lockers at a local high school, another might be responding to a request for a demonstration at an area senior center, conducting a bomb sweep after a business received a threatening email, or helping to search for a missing child, McKinney said.
Bryant said he welcomes the opportunity to show citizens what the dogs can do. Like the unit itself, the K-9 Showcase has gotten “bigger and better” each year, Bryant said. What started as a quick demo several years ago has evolved into a fastpaced, 45-minute program, he explained.
“In addition to drills in group and individual obedience and agility, people will get to see exactly what we do is certain situations – from vehicle pursuits to criminal apprehension,” Bryant said. “This is intended to show citizens what we encounter on the street and how we react.”
Bryant said audiences have responded positively to past Cruise Night K-9 shows. “These are their dogs, the county’s dogs,” said Bryant. “Citizens want to see what they do when they’re working, and they deserve to have that chance.”
In addition to the convergence of cars and canines, Cruise Night will feature a deejay, food vendors, door prizes, a 50-50 raffle, a dunk tank, and children’s activities, such as a moon bounce and face-painting. Parking at Farrell Stadium, located at 855 South New Street in West Chester, is free.