Police K-9 Bear receives boost from a local family

MIDDLETOWN— A local family who crossed paths with the Middletown Police Department’s K-9 Bear raised hundreds of dollars in donations for the department’s service dog program, police said Sunday.

Police shared photos on Facebook of a backyard party hosted Saturday by a local family on behalf of K-9 Bear, the department’s resident community canine. K-9 Bear is a Black Labrador service dog who is ADA-certified and trained to assist law enforcement officers struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and other related disorders.

The department said the family approached the department with the idea to host a fundraiser after they met Bear at a community event and learned that the department’s Service Dog Program is funded solely by donations.

The event, featuring food, music, raffle prizes — and “lots of fetch” — raised hundreds of dollars for the program, police said.

“This is a great example of what can happen when the community and police come together,” the department said on Facebook. “It goes without saying K-9 Bear truly is the community’s dog!”

Middletown Police Department / Contributed photo K-9 Bear was the star of the show at a local family’s backyard fundraiser Saturday.