Kiski Township police officials are looking to add a dog to their roster of officers.
Chief Lee Bartolicius is spearheading efforts to raise about $20,000 to purchase and train a police dog.
The department launched the Kiski Township K-9 Fund this month and to date has raised just over $3,000.
A large fundraising sign was erected this month outside the township building for the public to track the fundraising progress.
“My 100% goal is to support this K-9 program entirely without taxpayer money,” Bartolicius said. “We’ve partnered with a (veterinarian) in Butler County that will offer free routine vet services and a retailer in Armstrong County that will provide all of the food.”
The retailer and veterinarian have asked to remain anonymous, Bartolicius said.
A T-shirt/sweatshirt fundraiser kicked off before Christmas, and a spaghetti fundraiser is scheduled for January.
Several local businesses, including Rae-Lyn Enterprises, have volunteered time and resources to the campaign, including installing the fundraising sign.
The cost of a police dog and training is about $18,000.
Additionally, vehicle equipment will be needed to outfit a police cruiser with the necessary canine requirements.
“Our total target goal is about $20,000,” said Bartolicius, adding he is hopeful public donations will happen sooner rather than later so a dog and its handler can enroll and attend training in the spring at Shallow Creek Kennels in Sharpsville, Mercer County.
Training and classes last about six weeks.
Bartolicius won’t be the dog handler and plans to solicit officer candidate applications from within his department when the fundraising goal has been met. He said he would ask chiefs from two other departments that have dogs to help in the officer selection process.
The breed of dog is to be determined, Bartolicius said.
“I would like to expand the program in the future to two dogs,” Bartolicius said. “I’d like to work with the Apollo-Ridge School District to get some type of therapy dog/explosive detection dog there. The district is supportive.”
Kiski’s initial dog will be multipurpose — trained for law enforcement duties that would include the apprehension of fugitives, searching for missing people and narcotic detection.
“The noses on these dogs are incredible,” Bartolicius said. “We have the entire Apollo-Ridge School District in our jurisdiction, and we’ve had issues out there with narcotics in the three schools. This would be a phenomenal tool.”
Bartolicius said his department has to request dogs from other departments to do narcotic searches, such as Rudy and Veegee, two police dogs in the Southern Armstrong Regional Police Department.
“Southern Armstrong has been a great help doing that, but, at the end of the day, they’re wasting their time and resources on something that I could be doing myself,” Bartolicius said.
Christine Blystone, fundraiser chairperson and administrative assistant for the Kiski police department, designed the T-shirt and sweatshirt emblems that depict an American flag in the background with two dogs prominently displayed.
“I’m an animal lover, and we’re just now getting the word out to the public,” Blystone said. “The public has been very supportive so far. I had seven phone calls Friday.
Online dog drama
Blystone said a few naysayers have placed negative posts on social media, including Supervisor-elect Brittany Hilliard, who questioned the donated funds aspect of the campaign.
“Everyone knows donations and grants are not guaranteed. If this was the case, why wouldn’t every municipality have a K-9 unit?” she wrote on Facebook.
Additionally, Hilliard, who takes office in January, expressed concerns that, once donations run out, the taxpayers could end up paying for it.
“Armstrong County is over saturated with fundraisers and donations for K-9 units. There are three K-9s in Armstrong County, two with Southern Armstrong Regional Police and one with the Armstrong County Sheriff’s Department. There are also several other units available from surrounding counties within 20 miles. If we require assistance from a K-9 unit, they are available to us. It’s an unnecessary expense to add a K-9 to Kiski Township, and many residents are against it as well.”
Bartolicius said he doesn’t have a line item on the police dog program in his 2024 budget.
Hilliard said Monday a donation fund specifically for a K-9 unit was never voted on by the current board, but the township confirmed supervisors approved the campaign with a motion Feb. 23 to establish a nonprofit and bank account through First Commonwealth Bank for various fundraising, activities and donations for the police department.
Supervisor Dylan Foster made the motion and Mike Bash seconded it; no one opposed.
“I don’t see any issues or problems implementing the program,” Bartolicius said. “Multiple agencies sustain and maintain K-9 programs based on donations and public assistance.”
Bartolicius clapped back against any criticisms of wanting to secure a police dog.
“Safety is our No. 1 goal. Just like a firearm, a bulletproof vest, a Taser — a canine is a tool that this police department and officers and the surrounding communities can utilize. A naysayer wouldn’t want to necessarily take away a bulletproof vest from an officer that protects him. This canine can do the same thing,” Bartolicius said.
Blystone, a Kiski Township volunteer firefighter, noted minutes matter when responding to emergencies.
“When we call for a dog (like last year in the search and rescue for a missing child), you’re looking at 40-plus minutes for arrival,” Blystone said. “If we have a dog here, it’s immediate.”
Last year, Veegee had a response time of about 20 minutes and helped to safely locate the missing autistic boy.
“We called in bloodhound dogs from Greensburg, and that took more than one and a half hours to orchestrate. Once that team was here with Veegee, as a group (of dogs), they located the child within minutes,” Bartolicius said.
