Petplan & National Police Dog Foundation Announce Winners of Inaugural Grant Awards
Newtown Square, PA (PRWEB) September 13, 2017 -- Petplan pet insurance and the National Police Dog Foundation (NPDF) today announced the winners of the inaugural K-9 Health Insurance Grant. The endowment, a joint effort between Petplan and the Foundation, awards one year of pet insurance to five currently active police dogs throughout the U.S.
WINNING GRANT RECIPIENTS ARE:
Reximus, 3-year-old German Shepherd
Nome Police Department, Nome, AK
Handler: Justin P Timm
Sergeant Timm started the K-9 program at the Nome Police Department after many years without a K-9 unit. Reximus specializes in narcotics detection and is the only four-legged officer all of Western Alaska (he’s very busy!).
“I’ve been paying for Reximus’ veterinary care, including airfare for emergency transport, with the understanding it may not be reimbursed,” Timm said on his grant application. With his new Petplan policy, 90% of Reximus’ unexpected veterinary expenses will be covered.
Rudy, 2-year-old Shepard/Malinois mix
Upland Police Department, Upland, CA
Handler: Quinn Hanley
Rudy’s K-9 team is funded primarily through donations from the public (the city covers vehicle upkeep and the handlers’ salaries only). The Petplan/NPDF grant will allow the Upland PD to maximize existing funds and put future donations toward the training and equipment needs of the K-9 unit.
“People don’t see it, but these aren’t normal dogs: they are the elite athletes of the canine world,” says Handley. “And just like professional athletes, on a daily basis they can be subject to injury. Having an insurance grant allows us to maximize our budget on other necessary items like training, equipment and dog food.”
Coale, 1-year-old German Shepherd
Amory Police Department, Amory, MS
Handler: Dawn McClendon
Coale has just begun a 5-week program training for narcotic alert, search and rescue, and patrol duties. He is the first K-9 to join the unit since 2012; the department has lacked funding for canine officers for the past five years. His pet insurance grant will help keep costs down and keep the K-9 program thriving in Amory.
“Our department knows first hand how quick things can change,” says McClendon. “Roughly eight years ago we lost our K-9 partner to cancer. The peace of mind to have insurance that helps guarantee the best care no matter the a budget is a must!”
Tracker, 2-year-old Belgian Malinois
Silver Spring Township Police Department, Mechanicsburg, PA
Handler: David Frascella
Tracker is a multi-faceted K-9 who handles patrol and narcotics work. He’s also is trained in tracking, article searches, apprehension and handler protection. While veterinary care is paid from the department budget, Tracker’s handler knows how quickly that can become a burden.
“Tracker’s K-9 partner developed cancer a few years ago and thankfully though very generous donations from the public he received the treatment he needed,” says Frascella. “Having [Petplan] will allow the department to focus on Tracker having the knowledge that he is covered.”
Charlie, 3-year-old Labrador Retriever
Holbrook Police Department, Holbrook, MA
Handler: Brian Macgregor
Charlie has quickly become known as a “rock star” in drug detection, with several impressive seizures under his belt. The Holbrook PD pays for food, supplies, and medical treatment for its K-9 unit (which includes another officer named Bo) solely through donations from their community. The pet insurance grant from Petplan and the NPDF will help ensure the dogs always receive the best medical care—regardless of cost.
“If something happens to [Charlie] the costs could be astronomical,” says Chief of Police William Smith. “If we can’t pay for it then we have to take the dog out of service. It’s peace of mind he’ll be covered.”
The NPDF K-9 Health Insurance Fund, which made the first round of grant awards possible, is funded entirely by public donations and the sponsorship support of Petplan. As donations to the Fund grow, more grants will be made available to K-9 handlers.
“It’s hard to put into words the pride we feel in supporting police K-9s and the work they do to keep their communities safe,” says Natasha Ashton, co-founder and co-CEO of Petplan. “We were excited to launch this grant program, but meeting the first round of K-9 officers and handlers who will benefit just makes the honor all the more heartfelt. This is a program we hope to continue in partnership with the National Police Dog Foundation for a very long time.”
To make a direct donation to support grant funding, or to learn more about Petplan’s sponsorship of the NPDF, citizens can point their paws to https://nationalpolicedogfoundation.org/petplan/.
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ABOUT PETPLAN
Petplan has built an industry-leading pet insurance policy for pet parents who demand a higher pedigree of care for their best friends. We’ve leveraged 40 years of global experience to create completely customizable coverage pet parents can feel confident in, and world-class claims service that operates 24 hours a day, every day.
Petplan’s innovative approach to pet insurance has been recognized by Forbes, Financial Times, Bloomberg, Inc. magazine, Smart CEO, the Communicator Awards, Ernst & Young and many others.
Petplan policies are underwritten in the U.S. by XL Specialty Insurance Company and in Canada by XL Specialty Insurance Company-Canadian Branch. The company is rated A+ by S&P (2017). Coverage may not be available in all jurisdictions. For more information about Petplan pet insurance, visit http://www.petplan.com or call 1-866-467-3875.
ABOUT NATIONAL POLICE DOG FOUNDATION
The National Police Dog Foundation is a volunteer organization that promotes education and awareness, and raises funds for the purchase, training and ongoing veterinary care for active and retired police K-9s.
In 1998 the Ventura Police Dog Foundation began as a local group helping to fund the K-9 program for the City of Ventura, CA, and in 2004 the National Police Dog Foundation expanded its support to law enforcement K-9 units throughout the United States.
Most law enforcement agencies simply cannot meet their ever-increasing costs related to their K-9 units. The Foundation has become a unique resource for these agencies, to get the assistance they need with the purchasing of the K-9s, their initial training, and the ongoing veterinary care for active and retired police K-9s. The Foundation’s network of veterinarians includes some of the country’s most valued specialists in many varying areas of health care.
The Foundation’s efforts are all done to support America’s selfless and courageous K-9 Heroes.
For more information about The National Police Dog Foundation, visit http://www.nationalpolicedogfoundation.org or call 1-888-459-7768.
Greg Wiley, Petplan, +1 610.886.5091, [email protected]
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