Nonprofit Launches to Benefit Murrieta Police K9 Units

Lisa Parcell, owner of the Pampered Pooch Spa and Bowtique in Murrieta has a passion for dogs and helping people.

“I decided to form a nonprofit so that we would not only raise community awareness of our amazing Canine Team but would also raise money to help with their training and equipment purchases," Parcell said.

Joining her in the formation of Paws 4 Law are Linda and Charles Musselwhite of Musselwhite Marketing and Mike and Caryn Gorzo, of Body by Vi. The group has been working hard on its first fund-raising event set for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6 at Town Square Park in Murrieta.

There will be demonstrations by Murrieta’s police dogs and their handlers as well as an opportunity to dunk your favorite MPD officer in a dunk tank.

The event will include raffles, a silent auction, food and a kid zone with face painting and a jump. Music will be provided by Finite Wisdom, a group formed by educators from Vista Murrieta High School. They perform a combination of classic rock, funk and Southern rock.

The Murrieta Police Department currently has five dogs; Kazan, a German shepherd, handled by Corporal Jay Elliott, Dutch shepherds Frankie, handled by Officer Sean Lawlor and Blitz, handled by Officer Sean Waterman, Tara, a Belgian Malinois, handled by Officer Norbert Moll, and Maddy, a bloodhound, handled by Officer Travis Shows.

Although the city completely funds the program budget cuts have affected some of the ways the unit operates. Currently the dogs and the officers travel to Riverside for training to keep them at their best.

The first fundraising goal is the purchase of training equipment so that the officers and dogs do not have to drive to Riverside each week. The city of Murrieta has already set aside a portion of the Murrieta Equestrian Center and all that is needed is the funding to develop and equip it.

“The dogs save many man hours every year and can locate someone faster than four cops,” Murrieta Police Sgt. Darryl Underwood, who heads up the Canine Unit said, “These dogs are rock stars.”

The dogs perform many jobs for the police department including tracking down car thieves who have run from the car, getting into tight spaces to apprehend perpetrators and are frequently called to sniff out narcotics.

For more information on the event or to sponsor, donate or set up a booth contact Paws 4 Law at paws4law@gmail.com or 951-821-8775. You can also follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/paws4law.

—Contributed content