The Redding Pilot recently spoke with Chris Sweetwood of the Trap Falls Kennel Club (TFKC) about his efforts to bring a police K-9 to Redding, Connecticut.
Police K-9s are essential members of law enforcement and perform vital tasks that humans cannot. This includes locating/apprehending fugitives and detecting illegal substances, but most importantly, police K-9s search for lost and missing children as well as patients who cannot care for themselves.
Sweetwood is raising money on Go Fund Me to help the Redding Police Department establish a K-9 Unit to provide these services to the residents of Redding, Connecticut and other agencies within Fairfield County under their mutual aid compact.
These dogs are valuable resources that can cost departments thousands of dollars. If you'd like to help, click here to donate.
How Trap Falls Kennel Club Has Helped
This is not the first police dog that Sweetwood and TFKC have brought to a Connecticut community.
In 2013, Trap Falls Kennel Club spearheaded the effort to bring a new police K-9 to Newtown, Connecticut.
After the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, which stretched Newtown’s resources, and the unexpected early retirement and passing of the department's K-9 Baro that June, Newtown was faced with not having a working police dog among its ranks. Baro, who directly responded to Sandy Hook, was missed greatly by law enforcement and the community.
TKFC coordinated the efforts to raise funds to purchase German Shepherd Dog “Saint Michael” as the town’s newest K-9 officer.
TFKC also helped raise funds for the Orange Police Department in Orange, Connecticut; Monroe Police Department in Monroe, Connecticut and Westport Police Department in Westport, Connecticut.