Macungie police dog Sammy retired after 6-plus years on job
By Patrick Lester, The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.) | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
The 8-year-old Belgian malinois, who became the hot-button topic of a contentious 2007
"I don't feel it's necessary at this point," Harry said of adding a new dog. The chief said police dogs typically give six to eight years of service.
"We were very pleased with the way the program went," the chief said. "We were very happy with Sammy's performance."
Harry said Cpl.
Mullen, who has been with the department since 2001, will take ownership of the dog under an agreement that was part of the police department's most recent contract.
"I don't think the borough has had anything like this in its history where people went into their pockets to support a program for the borough," Romig said. "People love Sammy."
Sammy was credited with being responsible for a number of drug seizures and fugitive captures during his time with the force. During his first year on the job, he helped police in the arrest of a man who had 411 bags of crack cocaine, 31 bags of heroin, cash and a gun in his vehicle. He also helped nab a
Sammy became the center of an unusual campaign issue before he was officially added to the force.
Some council members who ran campaigns in 2007 said they were prompted to seek office, in part, because of council's handling of the dog issue and a decision to deny the department a dog. One councilman opposed to adding the dog threatened to leave town over the issue. Some said the dog would be too expensive and wasn't needed.
That decision prompted public outcry and seemed to galvanize some of the borough's electorate. A new council eventually gave their approval to adding the dog.
The initial costs to start up the K9 program were estimated at around
Harry said the original intent of the program was to have Sammy-related expenses paid for entirely with donations. "It didn't work out that way," he said. "We did use some borough funds for it."
In a
Sammy was born in
610-820-6764
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