October 19, 2016.  Foundation board member Wesley Reed has generouIMG_0838sly donated a Labrador Retriever puppy to the NH Fish and Game K-9 Unit!  Reed and his wife Belinda own Rise and Shine Retrievers where they breed and train Labrador and Chesapeake Bay Retrievers. They also offer training seminars, retrieving demonstrations as well as one-on-one training.

CORA, named for the Conservation Officers Relief Association, was presented to her partner Conservation Officer James Benvenuti in early September at the age of 2 months. She already accompanies CO Benvenuti on daily assignments as well as time spent learning basic obedience.

CORA will join the other K-9 units in their monthly training sessions, and then next summer she and CO Benvenuti will attend Basic Canine Patrol School in Vermont for an intensive 5 month training.  CORA is expected to receive her badge at a ceremony in November.

NH Fish and Game’s K-9 unit responds to over 125 calls each year. They conduct search and rescue missions to find lost people, as well as finding people suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia. They are also called upon to locate spent shell casings at the scene of wildlife crimes, locate illegally taken fish and wildlife, track suspects, and  locate evidence in criminal cases for other law enforcement agencies.

The costs of training, care and equipment of the dogs are not supported by NH Fish and Game, so all costs must come from private donations.  The Wildlife Heritage Foundation of NH maintains a special Canine Fund to support the costs of all of the unit’s equipment and training needs, and the unit receives the generous donation of food for the dogs from Purina Dog Foods.

Plans are underway to document CORA’s growth and training progress with periodic videos. Check this News page and our Facebook page for announcement of the videos.

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