ONEONTA, Ala. (WIAT) — A K-9 officer with the Oneonta Police Department suffered severe injuries following a car accident in mid-January. The department is now asking for the community’s support for the dog with a superior sense of smell. You can donate to the GoFundMe page here,
Boogieman is one of Oneonta Police Departments newest recruits – and one of their finest sniffers.
“I’ve seen him do that and he’s excellent at that job,” Police Chief Charles Clifton said about the German Shepherd specializing in finding missing people, fugitives and narcotics.
A little over a week ago, the rookie K9 officer made a rookie mistake. Boogieman let his puppy instincts take over when he saw a cat.
“The cat took off running behind the fire department on 4th avenue,” Clifton said. “The cat made it in front of the car, but Boogieman sadly did not.”
Officers rushed the 14-month old German Shepherd to a local veterinarian – where they learned attention for the pup would cost about $12,000.
“The damage was so extensive that it’s going to require a bone fusion – a very expensive surgery to keep the dog from losing his leg,” Clifton said.
To make matters more challenging, they also found out insurance on the K9 officer hadn’t taken effect yet, meaning OPD is responsible for the bill, which is no small expense for the department OPD posted Boogieman’s story to social media and started a GoFundMe. Within two days of starting the campaign, they’re about halfway to their goal.
“We appreciate that sincerely, those people who are donating to this dog,” Chief Clifton said.
According to Clifton, they expect to be about two to three weeks away from the surgery as doctors wait for swelling to quell and the antibiotics to take effect.
In the meantime, Boogieman has the support of his brothers in blue.
“You can’t not love him – he’s a good dog,” Clifton said.
Following the surgery, OPD will begin the recovery process with Boogieman and expect to have him back on the streets serving the community again soon.
The police department is seeking $12,000 from the GoFundMe page to pay for 24-hour care, surgery costs and therapy in order for Boogieman to return to duty.
You can donate to the GoFundMe page here.
