May 9, 2018 – The Mexico Café, 892 E. Highland Ave, San Bernardino, will host its third annual Dollars for Dogs fundraiser from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday, May 16, with proceeds going to support the Redlands Police Department K-9 Unit. 

Redlands Police officers and department staff will be serving lunch and dinner. This is your chance to give a police officer orders. All tips and additional donations from the day will go toward support of the Redlands Police Department K-9 Unit. Patrons are welcome to make additional donations. Last year’s event raised $20,000 for the care and training of the K-9 Unit.

K-9 Unit T-shirts in all sizes for men, women and children and K-9 Stuffies will also be available for purchase while supplies last. Credit cards, cash or checks will be accepted. The Mexico Café is located across the street from Perris Hill Park in San Bernardino.

The RPD K-9 Unit includes Duke, a 4-year old German shepherd and his partner Officer Joseph Valdivia, and Sonny, a 3-year-old springer spaniel, and his partner Officer Jaimeson Liu. Both K-9 teams will be at the event.

In December 2008, the Redlands Police Department began its drug-sniffing K-9 program with Radar, a black Labrador mix, using only private donations. In 2012, Radar retired as a working police K-9. Since that time, department K-9s have also included Kass, a chocolate Labrador, who retired from duty in 2013 due to health issues and Chewy, a narcotics odor detection dog, who retired in 2016.

Redlands Police narcotics officers frequently call on the department K-9s and also make them available to other local and federal agencies. The department also provides regular service to local schools through a contract with the Redlands Unified School District.

Since 2008, the ongoing training, medical costs, equipment and lodging for the department’s K-9s have been supported entirely by private donations with no cost to the City’s General Fund.

The Redlands Police Department also accepts direct donations to the K-9 program. Contact your tax professional to determine if your donation is tax deductible. Donations may be made out to the Redlands Police Community Foundation, attention Police Canine Fund, tax ID number 82-2335775, P.O. Box 3005, Redlands, CA 92373.

Donations (cash or check) may also be delivered to the Redlands Police Department, Attention Police Canine Fund, tax ID number 82-2335775, 1270 W. Park Ave., Redlands, CA 92374