Five-year-old, K-9 Bear has been working for the Gurnee Police Department, in Gurnee, Illinois since 2014. The German Shepherd is trained in apprehension and cadaver as well as narcotics and tracking/article searches. His handler, Officer Daniel Ruth, explains that Bear is vital to the community “there’s nothing he likes more than police work—he beats me to the door every day!”
While K-9 Bear is known as the “tough dog” at work, he’s very well behaved at home with Ruth’s wife and kids. In fact, Bear’s adaptable demeanor prompted TOPS Kennel to use him as a stud. “Bear has 8 puppies, 7 of which female, which means he will have lots of weddings to pay for!” Ruth jokes. In fact, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree—Bear’s male puppy is now in pre-training to become a police K-9 in the spring.
Recently, the department faced a new challenge. While conducting bite training, K-9 Bear cracked his upper left canine which eventually broke the tooth. Bear, was in need of a root canal and crown in order to save his tooth, but the department was facing a shortfall in funding. Officer Ruth reached out to the National Police Dog Foundation, which covered 100% of the procedure.
Bear’s procedure took place in February at the Veterinary Dental Center in Oswego, Illinois. Thanks to Dr. Stephen Juriga, Bear has gone “right back to being himself” and has continued to make impressive finds. Officer Ruth calls the National Police Dog Foundation’s help “monumental,” explaining “the village of Gurnee is extremely grateful.” In fact, without the donation, Bear’s procedure may have not been able to be completed.
Gurnee Police Department Chief Brian Smith also added, “Canine Bear is a tremendous asset to the Village of Gurnee. It is so nice knowing an organization like the National Police Dog Foundation exists to take care of our four-legged officers when they are in need. Because of them, Canine Bear is back in action, serving and protecting Gurnee!”
The National Police Dog Foundation is glad to have contributed to K-9 Bear’s recovery. We are glad to see that Bear is back to full health, without anyone needing to break the bank.
.fusion-button.button-7{width:auto;}CLICK HERE To Donate to our Active K-9 Medical Fund
The ongoing medical care for K-9s can be very expensive and most K-9 departments simply do not have the funds for the ever increasing medical costs for K-9s. The National Police Dog Foundation commends these K-9s for their dedication and service and is proud to assist in the costs of Medical Care for K-9s. Please click on the button below to donate to our Active K-9 Medical Fund. The K-9s really need your help!