RHINELANDER, WI (WSAU-WXPR) -- Rhinelander Police have been selected as the first police agency in the region to receive a K-9 unit dog from a facility in Kronenwetter, and it will be a memory of an Everest Metro police detective killed in the line of duty.
Rhinelander Police Chief Lloyd Gauthier(gaw-theer) says Crossroads K-9 Rescue informed him last week they were the first agency to get a dog from their program. Gauthier says Crossroads' Sean Dumais(du-MAY'-iss) was impressed with Rhinelander's K-9 program. "Sean says the reason they picked Rhinelander P.D. was because of our commitment to the protection of our community, the commitment to protecting youth in our community. It's more than just a dog fighting drugs. There's a bigger purpose for the use of a canine."
Chief Gauthier says people addicted to drugs are often absent from their families or have alienated themselves to the point they are on their own and in trouble. He says getting people help after discovery is a way to get people with addictions moving toward recovery.
Gauthier says there was a stipulation. Dumais has a connection to Detective Jason Weiland who died in an active shooter incident March 22, 2017. "And as a way to honor Jason, the first dog they were going to give away, they had a couple of stipulations an agency had to agree to. One being the dog's name would be Jason, in his honor and the dog would have to be assigned Jason's badge number which is 1274."
The dog will be a Belgian, as Weiland preferred that breed over German Shepherds. Crossroads will train the animal up to national police standards. Gauthier says they are also raising money to provide food and medical care for the dog for life.
Gauthier estimates Jason will be on duty later in 2019.
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