Wasilla PD meets fundraising goal to train K-9 unit

WASILLA — The City of Wasilla announced on Monday that it has exceeded its fundraising goal of $50,000 to train a new K-9 officer.

Wasilla Police Department Chief Gene Belden said that $56,000 was raised through the campaign to send a WPD officer to a K-9 training academy in the Lower 48.

Mayor Bert Cottle said the training program could take two months or more. It’s at that training where the officer winds up being matched with a police dog. Though the funds are now in hand, Cottle said the department, which is currently looking to fill multiple positions, won’t be able to spare that officer until at least the early part of the new year.

“As soon as we have that filled — hopefully within the next week or so… we’ll be better situated to select somebody to go Outside for 8 to 10 weeks,” Belden said.

Belden said the officers and the dogs they become paired with train together the entire time. Once the training is complete, the dog will come to Wasilla and provide what Belden said is an important task.

“No. 1, it will go and catch a bad guy. If you’ve got someone out in the woods and can’t find him, a dog will track and take you to this person,” Belden said. “Another thing is it’s a deterrent, and also if you have a vehicle you’ve pulled over… and there could be drugs or anything of that nature, the dog would alert you to that and be able to facilitate further investigation.”

Belden said he believes local schools have volunteered to vote to name the dog, which would replace Marshal, who died last year after suffering with cancer.