Law enforcement officers and police dogs deserve our support

OPINION:

There are about 50,000 active police dogs in the United States. These highly trained dogs help seize drugs, sniff out explosives, detain criminals, locate missing people, and uncover forensic evidence. There are countless stories of police K-9s making the ultimate sacrifice to defend officers, protect civilians and save lives.

These police dogs, known as K-9s, are trusted partners for law enforcement officers, represent an integral component of many police departments, and contribute immensely to public safety.

But police K-9s are expensive, and this is a major barrier for police departments looking to add a four-legged deputy to their teams. Some estimates suggest that police dogs, on average, can cost between $15,000 and $45,000, and the cost of training one can top $10,000. Not to mention that feeding these dogs and keeping them healthy are costly endeavors often covered out of pocket by the dogs’ handlers.

It’s unacceptable. Police departments already face hiring challenges, and police officers themselves face higher levels of burnout and stress than people in other fields. They shouldn’t be expected to empty their wallets to cover the costs of maintaining police dogs to defend our communities.

That’s why I have introduced the Honoring Police Officer and K9 Service Act. According to Paws of Honor — a national police dog organization — approximately 40% of the lifetime veterinary expenses for police dogs occur in the last two years of their lives, which means that the handler could expect $5,000 or more in veterinary bills after a dog has been retired. These costs cannot simply be transferred to the officer at the end of a police dog’s career.

To alleviate the financial strain facing K-9 handlers, this legislation — which came to life after my conversations with law enforcement officers in Iowa — would help police departments pay for checkups and other veterinary care for police dogs in retirement. Due to their demanding work, police K-9s face higher risks of developing ailments such as hip dysplasia, arthritis and separation anxiety — all of which require high-quality and potentially costly veterinary care — and our officers should not be saddled with these expenses.

More specifically, this bill would authorize $5 million for a grant program through the Department of Justice and coordinated by the attorney general to help ease the significant financial commitment of caring for police dogs and covering veterinary bills.

By supporting small and rural police departments — which often lack the funding of larger, urban operations — my legislation also has the potential to encourage police departments to add a police dog to their team when calculating their financial obligations.

Furthermore, the Honoring Police Officer and K9 Service Act includes guardrails to protect taxpayers and ensure that the funds are spent appropriately and responsibly. Under this legislation, any grant recipient would be required to deliver a detailed annual report to the attorney general’s office demonstrating how the money was used. The attorney general would then submit a comprehensive report to Congress outlining that taxpayer dollars were spent in accordance with the law.

These measures would promote transparency and accountability in government and ensure that only police departments in need receive resources to accommodate a police dog.

Our police officers and their K-9 partners are heroes who risk their lives daily to protect our families and communities. I strongly urge the passage of this legislation to honor our law enforcement officers and ensure that police dogs receive the high-quality, dependable care that they deserve during their service and in retirement.

• Randy Feenstra represents Iowa’s 4th Congressional District.