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Stuart P-D gets a furry new addition to the force

News

January 6th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

(Stuart, Iowa) – The Stuart Police Department, today (Thursday), announced on social media, that K9 “Ally” has officially joined the department. K9 Ally and her handler, Officer Daniel Irving, have begun working as a team and are ready to serve the Stuart community. Ally is an 18 month old shepherd mix that was purchased from Midwest K9 in Pleasant Hill, Iowa. Midwest K9 had already trained K9 Ally in narcotics detection and tracking, when she was purchased. Officer Irving and K9 Ally then needed to train together as a team, to ensure they understood each other. Officer Irving and K9 Ally went through 50 hours of of narcotics detection training with Midwest K9. Officer Irving and K9 Ally then went through a certification test and passed with a perfect score. Officer Irving and K9 Ally will be required to recertify each year.
Officer Irving and K9 Ally are currently in the process of going through tracking training, which is an additional 20-25 hours. Once Officer Irving and K9 Ally are certified in tracking, they’ll be able to assist in tracking suspects and missing persons. K9 Ally’s ability to help track missing persons, whether it is a lost child or an elderly person who has wandered too far from home, will hopefully be an asset to Stuart and surrounding communities.

Stuart Police K9 Ally & Officer Irving (photo via the Stuart PD Facebook page)

While Officer Irving and K9 Ally’s priority will be serving the Stuart community, outside agencies can request Officer Irving and K9 Ally’s assistance. Officer Irving, as K9 Ally’s handler, will consider outside agency requests on a case by case basis, factoring in such things as department policies, location and the environment in which K9 Ally would be deployed. K9 Ally’s safety is a top consideration when Officer Irving is deciding whether or not to deploy her. When K9 Ally is not working, she resides with Officer Irving at his residence. K9 Ally is a member of his family, even though there are differences between a working dog and a house dog. K9 Ally has certain times and locations where she is able to relax, spend time in the yard and enjoys playing with tennis balls.
Officials say the next step is to work towards getting K9 Ally a protective vest. Protective vests are recommended for dogs over two years old, hopefully to ensure that the dog is fully grown when fitted for a protective vest. The Stuart Police Department says it is grateful for all the community support it has received regarding their K9 Program. The K9 Program they say, would not have been possible without the many generous donations from private citizens and businesses, along with a grant from the Empowering Adair County Foundation.
The Stuart Police Department will continue to accept donations for the K9 Program to help with ongoing costs such as veterinarian care and training costs. Donations can be made out to the Stuart Police Department K9 Program and sent to PO Box 370, Stuart, IA 50250. Donations can also be dropped off at the police department in the mail box next to the entrance door.