Generous donation for Cabo

Keith Bryant/The Weekly Vista K9 officer Travis Trammel stands with a lead while Cabo meets Bill Dietman and Jan Dietman, who donated funds to better equip the department’s K9 unit.
Keith Bryant/The Weekly Vista K9 officer Travis Trammel stands with a lead while Cabo meets Bill Dietman and Jan Dietman, who donated funds to better equip the department’s K9 unit.

Bella Vista's new K9, Cabo, and his handler, officer Travis Trammell, met a pair of fans Monday afternoon.

Bill Dietman and his wife, Jan Dietman, a pair of Highlands residents, heard about the department's new K9 and were eager to help, largely because Bill Dietman had positive experiences working with K9 units before.

The couple called the Police Department to ask what the dog needs, then agreed to donate $1,300 toward a harness, first aid kit and bite suit.

Bill Dietman used to work in Minnesota Correctional Facility St. Cloud, he said. Near the end of the 1990s until around 2001 or 2002, the facility had a K9 unit that helped keep inmates in line and reduced staff injuries.

"Whenever the inmates would start a fight, they wouldn't start it where the K9 is," he said.

That program ended because of a lack of funding, he said, but he was very impressed with what he saw.

Beyond that, he said, he's hunted waterfowl with the help of dogs. With that experience, he said, he found it easy to understand Cabo's split personality -- that is, his habit of being a different dog at work than he is at home.

Trammell said that his 15-month-old, 54-pound canine partner, while not harmful, has been somewhat mischievous at home when he isn't in his work collar. But it is important to let him be himself at times, Trammell said, and it's understandable that he could be a little unruly with his extreme energy level.

Trammell said he appreciates the donation.

"That's one of the reasons I like our city," he said. "It's nice when we're supported.... It will help me buy him some things he's needed."

The department's budget for the K9 program, he said, is limited, but the equipment the dog needs can be very expensive.

The first aid kit, he said, could save the dog's life, while the harness is largely a training tool. By giving him a specific piece of equipment to associate with tracking, he said, it can help get Cabo in the right mindset when it's time to find someone. Moreover, he said, that harness keeps the pressure on his chest, rather than his neck, if he gets eager and pulls.

"It's amazing the price of things that he needs," Trammell said, "but it's amazing when people come up and want to help."

The Dietmans were more than happy to provide that help.

"It just makes us feel good to be part of our community," Bill Dietman said.

"We appreciate all that they do," Jan Dietman added.

General News on 04/19/2017