Mayor Sarno states, “Police Superintendent Cheryl Clapprood and I want to thank Representative Steven Xiarhos for filing this important legislation in support of our dedicated K9’s. Our brave K9 Officers and their police dogs are an important team within our Springfield Police Department. It is only right that our police dogs have a special fund created to care for their medical expenses for when they retire. Our own Springfield K9 Officer Eric Blair recently had to cover the medical expenses for retired K9 police dog, Mr. Warner, so that he could receive the proper treatment when he retired. I want to thank Representative Carlos Gonzalez for his continued leadership efforts in helping to move this legislation out of his committee.”
The bill is currently pending before the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, which is chaired by Representative Gonzalez.
Deputy Police Chiefs Steven Kent, Lawrence Akers and Rupert Daniel, as well as members of the State Police, and K9 officers from other communities in Massachusetts were also in attendance.
