Community Corner
'Great Turnout' for Second Annual Paws 4 Law Event
The five-hour event was a way to raise money for the Murrieta Police Department K-9 Team.
It was a great turnout Saturday for the second annual Paws 4 Law Foundation event benefiting the Murrieta Police Department K-9 Team.
Paws 4 Law, which was founded in 2012 by a group of local residents and business owners, is a non-profit organization formed to raise community awareness and support of the Murrieta Police Department K-9 Program.
The five-hour event drew several hundred people, as well as many police department members to the athletics field of Calvary Murrieta Christian School on Monroe Avenue.
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The event featured K-9 demonstrations from three of five current Murrieta K-9 officers.
"Overall, it was a great turnout today," said Sgt. Daryl Underwood, who oversees the Murrieta Police Department’s K-9 Program.
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"Our handlers train daily at various locations that sometimes include riverbeds and old warehouses," Underwood said about the program. "We incorporate training while out on patrol but every Wednesday our K-9 Team focuses on roughly 6-10 hours of training, which is why they display such a high level of performance."
Underwood also noted that since the department is home to five canines, including one bloodhound, which is unusual for the size of the city, the team is able to respond and assist neighboring law enforcement agencies with various assignments.
“Throughout the work week, we have a minimum of one K-9 unit on patrol,” he said.
Saturday’s demonstrations consisted of: Cpl. Jay Elliott, who handles Kazan, a German shepherd; Officer Sean Lawlor, who handles Frankie, a Dutch shepherd; and Officer Sean Waterman, who handles Blitz, also a Dutch shepherd.
Officer Norbert Moll, who handles Rocky, a Belgian Malinois and Officer Travis Shows, who handles Maddy, a bloodhound, were on other assignments for the day, according to Underwood.
Local vendors, sponsors, a kid’s zone, outdoor barbecue and even a dunk-a-cop tank were some of the many other activities to choose from.
Julie Krause, who was one of many local vendors at the event, is an independent consultant for the candle warmer company Scentsy.
“This is my second year at this event and I absolutely love it. It is a great organization and I am happy to contribute. The demos were amazing,” she said.
Krause plans to hold a fundraiser next week for the Paws 4 Law Foundation, which she intends to post on her website Juliekrause.scentsy.us/scentsy/.
According to Paws 4 Law Chairperson Lisa Parcell, a portion of vendor proceeds from Saturday's event go toward the foundation. Several local businesses also contributed sponsorships.
For information about participating in next year’s event, call 951-821-8775 or visit Facebook.com/Paws4Law.
