Findlay Subaru contributing with every car sold in October.
Stepping up to support them is Findlay Subaru of Prescott, with a pledge to donate $100 for every car sold during the month of October.
General Manager Jason Jenkins noted that Findlay Subaru typically sells about 100 cars a month, which could bring in about $10,000 that would be split three ways to care for the three police dogs.
“I heard the story of Eden helping a young child testifying in court,” said Jenkins. “It’s a tear-jerking story to hear and I wanted to help and be part of it. I’m so glad our community has this program.”
Jenkins and his wife, Rebecca, moved to Prescott in 2011. “We came to Prescott because my parents were in Sun City and we would visit and ride motorcycles up here. We love the beauty of the area, the small-town feel, the downtown and Courthouse Plaza. We stayed at a vacation rental in Prescott for a month and decided to extend our stay.”
That extended stay has lasted for more than a decade. “We love it here and it’s just really important to us to give back to the community,” said Jenkins. “We would like to continue our effort in helping out the K9 Unit.”
Jenkins and Findlay Subaru are hosting a grand Kick-off Party from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friday, Oct. 6, with booths and food and all three dogs in attendance at the dealership on Willow Creek Road in Prescott.
Meanwhile, Police Administrative Sergeant Jack Shapiro reports that the police dogs are doing great. “Benny and Cooper are very active and have a ton of energy. Their training never stops, and we train about eight hours a week on narcotics detection and obedience.”
The drug-sniffing dogs do not work with Eden, as they have very different jobs, but they do pass each other in the halls at the police department and say, “Hi,” said Shapiro.
The 5-year-olds work in concert with their two handlers, police officers Kyle Alltop and Troy Crawford. “The public reaction to Benny and Cooper has been extremely positive, and they are very well supported by the community,” Shapiro said.
Officer Alltop, who is Cooper’s handler and has had a lengthy military career working with dogs, is very appreciative of donations received.
“Donations really help drive our program forward,” he said.
Officer Crawford, who is Benny’s handler, agreed. “We appreciate the support from Findlay Subaru, helping us raise money to keep the dogs trained up and catching drugs.”
The officers say Cooper and Benny have been highly effective assisting the narcotics task force in locating and removing dangerous drugs from the community.
“They’re called ‘single purpose’ police dogs and are trained to detect methamphetamines, heroin, fentanyl and cocaine,” Shapiro said.
The dogs work four 10-hour shifts and basically become part of their handler’s family, usually sleeping in special temperature-controlled kennels in the patrol vehicles.
Donated funds are used to purchase items such as training aids, containers used to hold narcotic scents, toys to reward the dogs, leashes, harnesses, beds, kennels, food containers, handler supplies and upgrades to the training facility.
For her part, Eden is the first full-time emotional support and facility dog on duty in a law enforcement agency in Yavapai County. Senior Advocate Amy Fillingim is Eden’s handler. Eden, who is nearly 3 years old, lives with her.
“Eden is my favorite topic,” she said. “She works every day that I work.”
Fillingim works in Victim Services four days a week and works some in Dispatch.
“When I work in Dispatch, she comes with me,” she said of Eden. “She loves being here and being a part of all that the department has to offer. All the dispatchers ogle over her, and the police staff take time to engage her and throw the ball.”
Eden has been task trained since she was 8 weeks old to detect levels of the hormones cortisol and adrenaline in humans.
“During and after a traumatic event, our human brain starts pumping out high levels of adrenaline and cortisol – it’s fight, flight or freeze,” Fillingim explained. “Where there’s a threat, Eden can detect when there’s an increased level of those hormones.”
Eden is trained to crawl, cover, hug or touch, behaviors intended to increase the feel-good hormone, serotonin, in humans.
“She is trained to offer those tasks when someone is going through trauma,” she said. “It has a calming effect and helps to induce clear thinking and better recall. Eden is a pro now.”
By 18 months, Eden had achieved all of her certifications. In addition, she has sat in on four trials this year in which minors, ages 11 to 17, were asked to testify against accused abusers.
“These children were frightened sitting on the stand in a courtroom, with the defendant staring right at them,” she said. “Eden laid curled around their feet in the testimony box when they were feeling scared.”
The public will soon have an opportunity to meet and mingle with all three police dogs and also contribute to their upkeep by purchasing a Subaru or donating to the Prescott Police Department.
“We try to dump as much of our advertising budget as we can into the community,” said Jenkins. “It’s just the right thing to do and we feel such pride to be associated with these important programs.” QCBN
By Betsey Bruner, QCBN
Courtesy Photo: Findlay Subaru General Manager Jason Jenkins bonds with Eden after hearing about the support she gives children having to testify in criminal cases. Benny and Cooper are credited with getting illegal drugs off Prescott streets.
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