Greensburg police getting 2 new dogs

Two new police dogs are being added to the Greensburg Police Department’s roster.

City council on Monday unanimously approved the purchase of the dogs, which will cost $11,000 plus $2,800 for shipping.

The purchase will be covered by funding received from the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office, officials said.

According to city Administrator Kelsye Hantz, the dogs are expected to arrive at the end of the month. She added they are coming from the Netherlands.

Patrolmen Jason Fidazzo and Ken Burke will be their handlers.

City leaders in March first began discussing the purchase of two new police dogs for the department, which previously had two dogs.

One, Dax, retired last year and died soon after. The other, Falco, was nearing retirement age, officials said at the time.

Chuck Irvin, who was promoted to detective sergeant this week, said in a March interview with the Tribune-Review that police dogs are usually bred in Europe, then purchased young and trained by their handlers. He noted European dogs are bred to work, while American dogs are typically bred for show.

That means European dogs are more reliable than their American counterparts, Irvin said.

According to a post on the City of Greensburg Police K9 Unit Facebook page, the dogs and their handlers will go through extensive training to become certified in patrol and narcotics identification. The training can take months and give the handlers and dogs a chance to bond.