Thursday, March 28, 2024

For the love of Stana

Posted

Whether human or canine, law enforcement officers take a lot of pride in caring for one of their own, so when police dog Stana needed surgery to repair a torn ligament in her left leg, the Coryell County Sheriff's Office reached out to the community for help with her medical bills.

People responded in a big way, donating more than $5,500 to help Stana. The surgery will only cost an estimated $1,200 to $1,670, so the additional funds will be devoted to the sheriff's office's canine fund.

After a post was seen on Facebook explaining Stana's need, not only did people overwhelmingly respond with donations, but local television stations even came to Gatesville to help spread the word.

As for Stana's future, the 6-year-old Belgian Malinois will retire and will live with her partner, David Ashley.

"She's done so much for us," Coryell County Sheriff Scott Williams said. "We started the canine program here with proceeds seized from drug dealers. We will still need approval of the county commissioners to accept the donation, but we hope the surgery will allow Stana to have a better quality of life in her retirement. We hope to move the extra funds (from donations) into our canine fund."

With Stana's retirement, the sheriff's office will be down to two canine officers. Stana was the first canine officer for the county when Williams reinstated the program in 2017. It had been canceled years earlier.

Williams and Ashley said Stana's efforts have made a big difference, along with the department's other canine officers. Not only have they helped to root out hidden drugs, their presence often has a calming effect on people, whether on the streets or in area schools

"She's definitely been a great benefit for our crime-fighting efforts, along with our other canines," Williams said.

Ashley began working with Stana in September 2021, and the two formed a close partnership.

"She's with him all the time and has been a great asset to us, especially in fighting the drug problem," Williams said. "She was the pioneer when we restarted the canine program, and she's found a lot of drugs during her service."

"One of the biggest assets has been getting Stana in our local schools," Ashley said. "She checks backpacks and is a big deterrent to crime. Having our dogs visit the schools makes it safer for the kids."

Stana's surgery is scheduled for April 20. Her injury is a common one for active dogs, Ashley said.

"It was caused by running and jumping and is the same type of injury elite athletes sometimes get," he said.

Williams said he hopes Stana enjoys a long, happy retirement.

"She's family," he said. "In the early days when we first got her, she stayed at my house, and my grandkids grew up around her. She's paid her dues so hopefully she'll be able to enjoy the best quality of life possible."

Ashley said he is thankful for those who donated to help Stana.

"I really want to thank the community for the generous outpouring of support," he said. "This will benefit Stana and it will also go a long way in helping our canine program. It's not just us who benefit from having the canines. Smaller cities and nearby counties have contacted us when they need help, and we're happy to do it."