The quest to raise funds for a new police dog for the Davis Police Department took a major step forward at the recent “DogtoberFest” held at the Davis Odd Fellows Lodge.
“Wow! We made a profit of $10,000 at this event, every penny of which will be used to purchase a new K-9 for the department,” said long-time Odd Fellow and event organizer Dody Black. “The community really stepped forward to support our effort.”
Approximately 175 local residents attended the DogtoberFest, held outdoors in beautiful weather, in an Octoberfest setting adjacent to the Odd Fellows Lodge Hall. Two local musical groups – Putah Creek Crawdads and Wealth of Nations – donated their talents to entertain the attendees, beer and wine was served, food donated by Whole Foods Market was served including sausages grilled by volunteers from the Davis Police Department. A silent auction was a highlight of the evening. Sam Shane, news anchor at News Channel 13, served as Master of Ceremonies. And police officers from Davis and West Sacramento provided police dog demonstrations to the delight of guests.
“We thank our generous sponsors and volunteers and all the folks who purchased tickets and attended,” said Ann Carroll, an Odd Fellow and co-organizer of the event. “The DogtoberFest exceeded our expectations.”
The local canine, Hurricane (known as “Cane”) is “retiring” and a new K-9 officer must be purchased. These are highly intelligent and intensively trained animals that are very expensive. There is no budget for a replacement, but the community is stepping up to raise the funds, according to Black and Carroll.