Letter of the Day (Feb. 20): K-9 police work

K-9 police officers are just that. Police officers.

February 20, 2013 at 1:30AM
Kody was featured in a 2013 calendar of the St. Paul K-9 Unit. The police dog was stabbed to death this month after entering a home.
Kody was featured in a 2013 calendar of the St. Paul K-9 Unit. The police dog was stabbed to death this month after entering a home. (Susan Hogan — Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

In response to "Officers wrong to take human life for K-9 dog" (Readers Write, Feb. 16): K-9 police officers are just that. Police officers.

They are well-trained in their field, and learn to protect their human partners, in addition to the population at large. Many people have no idea how many lives have been saved due to the action of these fearless dogs.

I am a veterinarian, and I do not put the lives of animals on the same plane as humans; however, K-9 officers risk their lives every time they work, and have enabled their human partners to avoid injury and death while getting the "bad guys" off the streets.

Please uphold these K-9 officers. They are worth every bit of time and energy that goes into training and working with them. They save an untold number of lives as they tirelessly and fearlessly do their jobs.

Lisa Powell, Maple Grove

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