Española has gone to the dogs. More specifically, more than $12,500 has gone to a single dog — Gabanna the German Shepherd of the Española Police Department’s K9 Unit.
In addition to grant-funded training Gabanna received over the summer, the Department spent $6,401 of its own money to purchase various supplies for the dog.
City vouchers from December state those expenditures included $2,095 for a portable kennel, $351 for a German-made muzzle and $85 for a K9 air conditioning system.
Police Chief Eric Garcia said the Department specifically sought out high-quality dog supplies because it would save the city from having to continually purchase the same items and meet the approval of the Española School District, which jointly owns Gabanna with the Department.
“The way it works is that you just can’t go to Petco and buy anything,” he said. “You have to buy something that is approved by the schools. These are products that you won’t find in stores.”
Interim city manager Joe Duran said the District purchased Gabanna and donated her to the Department. In exchange, the city pays for the dog’s upkeep.
The kennel the Department ordered certainly isn’t just “anything.” An online product description espouses the four-figure dog carrier.
“The kennel features an easy 10-minute assembly, improved lockable steel door, and K9 friendly construction,” the product description states. “It’s durable, modular design meets airline specifications and can be delivered anywhere in the U.S. for far less than any comparable kennel.”
“Durable” is the key word for Garcia, who said he expects the kennel and many of the other products to outlast Gabanna’s lifespan.
In the process of purchasing the items, the Department far exceeded its budget for the K9 unit.
The city’s mid-year budget report states $3,000 was allocated by city officials for “Police Dog and Related Expenses” for fiscal year 2014. As of January, Department officials spent $2,457 on this line item and are projected to go 64 percent over budget, not including the costs associated with Gabanna’s training and the Department’s December series of purchases.
Garcia said the costs were probably factored in after the budget report.
Despite the costs, Garcia said the Department’s budget should be balanced by June, when the city’s fiscal year ends. He reiterated that a majority of the items are one time costs.
Duran said the exploding costs related to the Department’s police dog was concerning, but admitted it was Garcia’s right to move around money in his budget as he sees fit.
Duran said city officials should monitor the situation to make sure the budget remains balanced.
In agreement with Garcia was Española was Police Officer Jeremy Apodaca, who acts as Gabanna’s handler.
Apodaca said many of these items are specifically made for police dogs and are an improvement over generic pet supplies, like the German-made leather muzzle.
Gabanna and Apodaca also benefitted from training in the amount of $6,400, over the summer.
Garcia said Gabanna underwent a $2,450 pre-training and was later joined by her handler for a $3,950, four-week course in Albuquerque. Both were funded by a grant from the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program and were concluded by July.
Apodaca said the trainings made a huge difference in the communication between himself and Gabanna.
“It’s like trying to speak with a person who speaks in sign language and not being able to communicate with them,” he said about his prior interactions with the dog.
Garcia said all the money spent on Gabanna is meant to further increase her value as an asset to the Department. She has already been sent to help the Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s Office, the Los Alamos County Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies.
Apodaca said Gabanna has made the process of searching for drugs in schools and crime scenes much more efficient. He had another metaphor ready to describe the skill set she offers over the average law enforcement officer.
“If you walk into a room and you smell beef stew, we (humans) smell the beef stew,” Apodaca said. “She (Gabanna) smells the beef, the carrots, the celery and the broth.”