Willow Grove's Asplundh Donates $25K To Horsham K-9 Unit

Horsham, PA -- Horsham's K-9 unit is officially off the ground.

Willow Grove-based Asplundh Foundation has donated $25,000 to the program, they announced in a recent press release, which will help the Horsham Township Police Department properly equip and prepare for the canine officers. 

The donation helped to retrofit a 2016 Ford Explorer with a specially-designed kennel, a computer, alarm, video, and escape systems, plus lights and siren, according to the Foundation.

“The police department first came to us for help in acquiring and training a dog, but we saw they needed a special vehicle for the canine unit so we decided to help in that way," said Asplundh Foundation Vice President Chris Asplundh.

The Asplundh Foundation members recently got a chance to check out the new K-9 vehicle when Horsham Police Sergeant Rich Carey stopped by to personally thank them for their support, the release states. 

Horsham Township Police Officer Kate Ryan and her K-9 partner Gallant, a Dutch Shepard, will be assigned to this vehicle.

An existing squad car in the department’s fleet is also being retrofitted for Officer Andrew D’Arcy and his K-9 partner, Banner, a German Shepard, the Foundation said. 

Both dogs are currently in a 12-week specialized training program in North Carolina and their human handlers will join them for four weeks of joint training in early July. One team will specialize in narcotics detection and the other in explosives.

“In the past, we have had to borrow K-9 resources. With this program, we wanted to step up to the plate and be a resource to others,” Horsham Township Chief of Police Bill Daly said in a statement.  

Daly added that 95% of the police department’s K-9 unit program has been funded with donations from local businesses and individuals. 

“We hope to be able to have our officers debut the dogs and their vehicles during our National Night Out event on August 2," he said.

Asplundh also serves as chairman of the board of the Asplundh Tree Expert Co., a utility tree trimming company headquartered on Blair Mill Road in Horsham.