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SALISBURY, NC — WCCB Charlotte has the first look at a police dog at the center of controversy over his treatment at the Salisbury Police Department.
“Jack, come here.” Lt. Andy Efird called for the off-duty police dog. They were playing outside the National Guard facility in Rowan County when WCCB met up with the pair to check on the dog’s health.
A website opinion article claimed officers left the dog, “…imprisoned, day and night, for almost two weeks.”
“One thing that stands out in my mind was the dog was kept in a kennel with only feces and urine as his company,” said Lt. Efird.
Lt. Efird is the K-9 Unit Commander at the Salisbury Police Department. He and other officers take care of dogs like Jack.
“I was shocked,” said Lt. Efird. “I know there’s been no mistreatment of the dog.”
He says taxpayer calls flooded the department when the article was published. They wanted to know if the dog they paid nearly $14,000 for was facing possible neglect.
“I got the dog out daily, I fed the dog daily, I cleaned up after the dog daily, as well as some other officers,” said Lt. Efird. “They cleaned up after the dog as needed.”
The Rowan Free Press tells WCCB an anonymous group of people that are part of the Salisbury Police Department wrote the letter.
They say Chief Rory Collins locked Jack in a cage after his handler, Jason Fox, left the department for a new job at the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office.
“That’s absolutely untrue,” said Chief Collins.
Deputy Fox didn’t want to talk on camera. A Rowan County Sheriff’s Office Spokesperson tells WCCB, “The story is not completely factual and had no input from Deputy Jason Fox at all.”
“It’s important for the public to know we do care for our police work dogs to a great extent,”said Chief Collins.
The police department says officers moved Jack to a boarding facility until he moves in with his new handler this week. Due to the calls they are receiving, they worry for his safety. They won’t say where he is staying.
“We’ve been bombarded with calls, and we don’t want to subject the people to that,” said Lt. Efird. “He gets exercised on a regular basis, he obviously gets fed. It’s a professional facility.”
The police department says a veterinarian gave Jack a clean bill of health. You can read the Salisbury Police Department’s Press release in response to the online article below:
