By Emily Pappin
Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region

The Clintonville Police Department has welcomed a furry new member to the force. A $3,000 grant from the Clintonville Area Foundation has assisted in the training of a new narcotics detection and patrol K-9 named Charr, after the untimely loss of K-9 Chero last September.

“The calls received by the police department about drug dealing and using had increased drastically after the loss of K-9 Chero,” said Sgt. Christopher Wendorf.

With an overall cost of $20,000 for a new dog, and complete reliance on fundraising for the costs of the K-9 Unit as a whole, Clintonville Police fought to continue the program with Charr. After five weeks of narcotics detection training and five weeks of patrol training, Charr is out protecting the community just like predecessor Chero.

On one call, Wendorf recalls Chero assisting the Wisconsin State Patrol.

“The trooper had stopped a vehicle where he had suspicion of drug activity,” he said. Chero sniffed inside the car and indicated a piece of a straw in glove box had cocaine residue on it. “He also alerted to a passenger seat,” Wendorf said, “and a subsequent search of that passenger revealed cocaine in the individual’s waistband.”

Charr and the Clintonville K-9 Unit are working hard to ensure the safety of their community.

“Just the mere presence of a K-9 Unit in a city the size of Clintonville already has an immeasurable impact on the possible crime and drug trafficking in the city,” Wendorf said.

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