| Fund-raiser aids canine rescue team
An upcoming fund-raiser for the Cen-Tex Search and Rescue team offers car washes, dog baths and shopping for goodies all in one place. The event is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 12 at Sevcik's Services Center on the corner of Longmire Drive and Harvey Mitchell Parkway. Proceeds will go to water recovery training and national certifications for the Bryan-based Cen-Tex Search and Rescue canines. Professionally trained and nationally accredited volunteers work with dogs and horses to help authorities find missing or deceased individuals. For more information, visit www.rothcala.com/CenTexSAR.html. .
Vietnam War tale told from a dog's point of view
The Vietnam War ended more than 30 years ago, ancient history for today's 10-year-olds. Two novels may not offer a full overview, but they do illuminate interesting corners of the conflict and its legacy. Dogs figured prominently in the conduct of U.S. military operations in Vietnam, as we learn in Cracker! by Newbery Award winner Cynthia Kadohata (Atheneum; 309 pages; $16.99; ages 10-up). Alternating between human and canine points of view, Kadohata recounts the story of one German shepherd and her wartime experiences, sniffing out booby traps on the ground. Cracker starts out life as a show dog, then breaks a leg, becomes pet to a boy who can't keep her and ends up in training for service in Vietnam with recruit Rick Hanski as her devoted handler. What happens can be read as a classic dog story or as a gripping account of war.
Police puppies named by sick kids
Two German Shepherd puppies are poised to start training for their future careers as police service dogs with the Edmonton Police Service. Shadow and Hutch made their public debuts Thursday morning at the Stollery Childrens Hospital. Kids at the Stollery were asked to come up with names for the puppies and the contest winners were selected by the EPS Canine Unit. Shadow is a black female dog while Hutch is a black-and-brown male puppy. Both are 10 weeks old. Theyre scheduled to start preliminary obedience training in mid-May and enrole in official EPS basic training when theyre 14 months old. If they ace their training, theyll go on active duty by the fall of 2008. Twelve dog-and-handler teams currently make up the EPS Canine Unit. .
Dog donated to Wendell police K-9 program
WENDELL - The Wendell Police Department recently welcomed the newest member of the force. Kena is a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois given to the department by Iron Mountain Kennels of Shoshone.The donation is of significant value to the department for many different reasons, Chief Kirtus Gaston said. Getting the dog marks the beginning of Wendell's K-9 program.The price tag for an animal like Kena is about $2,700. But with the training she has already received, she's worth even more. Having been trained for so many services, she can chip in to find a recent runaway, help apprehend a suspect or sniff out drugs."Once she is totally in-service, Kena is going to be an invaluable addition to our force," Gaston said. "She can assist in narcotics searches, apprehension and tracking. I think that every department, nationwide, should have a dog on their force.
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