The Fresno County Sheriff's K-9 unit needs to completely rebuild their training facility.
The facility is so bad - it's dangerous for the dogs to use.
The K-9s train each week on how to stop a suspect or protect a deputy.
“We can definitely take a situation we've been in, in real life and recreate it here in our field,” said K-9 Deputy Todd Burk.
The only problem is the field is in such bad shape, the dogs would get hurt if they used it.
“As you can tell the fence is falling apart. The ground is uneven and it's unsafe for the dogs to run on and train on. So we would have to start with a complete tear down of what's existing now,” said Sgt. Ryan Hushaw.
They need a new fence. And some grass to replace the weeds.
The obstacle course is a couple of rusted barrels and an old raisin crate.
The handlers cobble together whatever they can.
“We use barrels, PVC pipes, boards whatever we can find to challenge the dog,” Burk said.
There are nine handlers and dogs in the unit. They do everything from catch bad guys to sniff out bombs.
The team started fundraising last month at National Night Out.
Now the team is selling travel mugs, with the proceeds going to the training field.
“We are accepting donations from private parties as well as businesses coming forward with materials and monetary donations,” Hushaw said.
The goal is to have a proper facility for these dogs and deputies, teams who protect Fresno County and could now use a little assistance themselves.
The travel mugs are $12 each. They can be purchased from any Fresno Sheriff’s K-9 deputy or from the Fresno Deputy Sheriff’s Association at 1360 Van Ness Avenue in Fresno. (559) 268-3372.
