“The word is humbling:” Non-profit giving back to First Responders and their K9s with seminar

BERLIN, Md.- Friday morning, if you stepped onto the Frontier Town Campground, in Worcester County, you’d find police officers from different counties; and by their side was their K9 partner. For three days, they’ll work with some of the top K9 trainers in the country, while exploring life saving techniques at no cost to them.

“The word is humbling because to be able to give back again to our first responders is the best I can describe is just humbling,” Carol Skaziak, founder of Throw Away Dogs Project, said.

Throw Away Dogs Project is a non-profit that turns misunderstood dogs into trained law enforcement canines.

This is the second year this K9 Law and Order Seminar is being hosted by the non-profit. Skaziak said with financial strains for some law enforcement departments these trainings are important.

“Because funding is not always available to police departments, sometimes they don’t have the training that we really want them to have,” Skaziak  said.

At the campground, the handlers and K9’s go through different scenarios. Practicing decision making skills and building dogs’ confidence. They will also get food, entertainment, and motivational speeches.

“Once they see a certain picture or negotiate an obstacle, or one of the decoys presenting themselves in a certain way, if they’ve seen that before then when they go out in the street they are probably going to be successful and that’s our goal,” John Bonville, a trainer from Idaho, said.

And, those who we spoke with said that training is bettering the community.

“If you have something else that can control, someone without having to use a firearm, that’s a big thing,” Bonville said.  “So, just getting a hold of somebody that’s huge, finding people, tracking is huge.”

While, also tightening the bond that handlers and their K9 have.

“Sometimes they are misunderstood, they are a very important part of being a First Responder the canine dog itself is a law enforcement officer,” Skaziak  said.

75 law enforcement canine teams have signed up for the training event, with one of the teams even coming from Canada.

Skaziak also told us during the event they announced their Blue Program, which is a new initiative that provides therapy dogs to First Responders.They will be joining forces with Leashes of Valor to do this.