A retiring canine officer will be honored at the first annual "Celebrating the Bond between Humans and Animals" festival on Sunday.
The canine, "Beny," began working for the West Whiteland Police Department in 1999. His partner has been Police Sgt. Matthew Herkner.
"He was the first canine we ever had here," said West Whiteland Police Chief Ralph Burton. "He was a great asset to the department. I'm sorry to be losing him but he is getting old so he is retiring."
The canine officer will be presented an award at the festival and a picture collage will be displayed, according to Ken Neeld, owner of Philadelphia Pet Memorials, a co-sponsor of the festival. The other sponsor is Veterinary Referral Center and Emergency Services.
Neeld said that he hopes festival attendees leave the event with "a greater sense of value of animals as part of their families." He said he hopes that attendees also learn information about ways to tackle future issues they may have with their animals, such as behavioral problems.
Specialists in animal behavior and pet therapy will be attending the event along with a pet communicator. An animal cop will tell stories about tragedy and neglect.
Pets will also be able to participate in dog Olympics, according to Neeld. Service and medical dogs, who specialize in pet therapy through hospices, will attend the event.
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