Holmdel P.D. thrown a bone for new police dog Corporate donation will pay for purchase of third German shepherd K-9 BY LORI ANNE OLIWA Correspondent The Holmdel Police Department has received a $5,000 donation to buy a new police dog. The department's two K-9 units put on a demonstration for the public during a ceremony at the A&P, Holmdel, on March 3. HOLMDEL - A new K-9 officer will be joining the township police department in the near future, made possible by a surprising, but generous, donation. The police department received $5,000 from Milk-Bone in conjunction with A&P as part of the Milk-Bone Canine Heroes Program. The donation program assists law enforcement agencies in adding to or maintaining K-9 units at no cost to taxpayers, according to a press release issued by Milk-Bone. "I was very, very surprised," Police Chief Raymond Wilson said. Wilson was present at a ceremony on March 3 at the A&P on Route 35 to accept the donation. Representatives from both companies were there along with Mayor Serena DiMaso and other representatives of the township. A demonstration was also held featuring the township's two working K-9 teams. "One of the officers hid money, and the dogs found it," Wilson said. "I never get tired of seeing these dogs perform, no matter how many times I see them." Wilson also emphasized that the animals are very valuable to law enforcement. "Most people don't realize how much of a commitment is involved with the training and keeping of these dogs," Wilson said. "Officers who are chosen to participate in the K-9 program actually live with the dogs, groom them, feed them and keep them as pets when off-duty. This is a total commitment from the department, the individual officer and the community." Holmdel actually maintains its own police dog training facility at Bayonet Farms. When purchased, the animals have already completed basic obedience training, Wilson said. Police dogs are called upon to perform many specialized tasks, and Wilson referenced many. "These dogs will go into buildings to search and apprehend suspects, and will absolutely run someone down. They are trained extensively for searches and will attack upon command," he said. However, not all of the work they do is crime-fighting. For example, the dogs can also be used to search for lost children. "Obviously, the dogs will not bite or attack in those situations," he said. "People can actually pet them." Other tasks the dogs perform involve searching for explosives, detecting narcotics and routine patrol details. The patrol part involves six weeks of specific training. After six weeks, more advanced training is provided to the dogs, Wilson said. The department also lends the dogs out to other municipalities as the need arises. Though the township has not purchased the animal yet, Wilson assessed the cost at approximately $3,500. The breed that will be purchased will probably be a German shepherd, like Holmdel's other K-9 dogs, according to Wilson.