K9 Rocky

Once again this year I had the honor of attending Action for Animal’s ‘LOVE IS IN THE AIR’ fundraiser at the Latrobe Country Club.  Smail Auto is an underwriter for the event, and several of us attend to represent the company.  It’s a beautiful, worthy event and raises money to keep the shelter operating.

Latrobe Police officer Robert Derk and his K-9 partner Officer Rocky attended the function.  Rocky is a German Shepherd that has been part of the Latrobe Police Unit since 2011.

Officer Derk shared details about their training and service.  They have been deployed 550 times and have made 35 suspect apprehensions, 3 of which were ‘use of force’ apprehensions. It was obvious that there was mutual love, loyalty, and even a measure of canine respect between these two partners.

Because the care and training of these canines are not funded by the police department, funds must be raised through donations and grants.  After watching some of the training simulation videos and hearing the stories of their service, one could not help but want to be part of their support.  If you want to donate to Rocky or to the K-9 program, you can do so by sending your gifts to the Latrobe K-9 fund c/0 Latrobe Police Department.  It’s a worthy program and I was amazed and impressed by their devotion to duty and each other.

But back to the evening.  There were almost 30 donated baskets, plus a silent auction and ‘adopt a dog for a month’ opportunity – in addition to the door prize.  It seems like Snoopy even decided to take part! I didn’t win anything (typical for me!) but my co-worker Sue won the 50/50 raffle.  I was very excited for her!

In addition to all the other festivities, there were very yummy Hors d’oeuvres and pastries for the guests.  My favorites were the mini-meatballs in sauce and the heart-shaped sugar cookies with pink sprinkles.

It was a fun, lovely evening, and I encourage anyone to do some research into the K-9 programs.  They put their lives on the line every time they are called out, and our financial/emotional support means a lot to them.  Consider making a donation – it’s one of the better things in life you could do! 

Latrobe K-9 Fund    CITY OF LATROBE    901 Jefferson Street    Latrobe PA  15650