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Bill Providing Funds For Florida's Retired Police Dogs Passes First House Panel

MGN Online

A bill aimed at providing funding for retired police dogs recently passed its first House committee.Once a K-9 retires, the medical bills can be expensive. And, Rep. Dave Kerner’s (D-Lake Worth) bill aims to relieve the caregivers of the retired law enforcement dogs of that financial burden.

“It is capped at $1,500 per year per handler, and $300,000 a year for the entire program,” he said, during a recent House Criminal Justice Subcommittee meeting.

And, Rep. Ray Pilon (R-Sarasota) says he’s on board with the effort.

“As a retired deputy and a former certified K-9 handler and trainer and having had one of these experiences of having a dog retired and live with me at home, this is an absolutely fantastic bill,” said Pilon. “It really means a lot to those handlers and their families and more so to those K-9s who have dedicated their lives to actually protect their handlers and the general public. I supported it last year. I hope that we can get it all the way through.”

For the past three years, Kerner has filed the bill, but it’s always died in the committee process.

For more news updates, follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter: @SaschaCordner.

Sascha Cordner has more than ten years of public radio experience. It includes working at NPR member station WUFT-FM in Gainesville for several years. She's worked in both radio and TV, serving in various capacities as a reporter, producer and anchor. She's also a graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in telecommunications. She is the recipient of 15 awards from the Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and Edward R. Murrow. Her award-winning stories include her coverage on the infamous “Dozier School for Boys” and a feature titled "Male Breast Cancer: Lost in the Sea of Pink." Currently, Sascha serves as the host and producer of local and state news content for the afternoon news program "All Things Considered" at WFSU. Sascha primarily covers criminal justice and social services issues. When she's not reporting, Sascha likes catching up on her favorite TV shows, singing and reading. Follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter:@SaschaCordner.