Houston Police Department

April 26, 2005 -- On Tuesday, April 26, 2005, at 10 a.m. the Houston Police Department's Canine Unit received a $5,200 check towards the purchase of a new police dog from The Daughters of the British Empire. This organization raises money for Houston area charities of which the HPD K-9 unit is one.

After the donation ceremony the ladies from the DBE gathered for a photograph around some of the dogs they helped purchase over the years.

Assistant Chief G.T. Buenik made a special presentation to the group recognizing their continued support of the Houston Police Department's K-9 Unit. Sergeant A. Porras along with other K-9 officers and their dogs were also present at the donation ceremony.

Since 1997, the Daughters of the British Empire have donated $17,450 towards the purchase of K-9's for the Houston Police Department. This donation is one of the largest the organization has given to HPD. Holding bazaars, festivals, and other smaller fundraisers throughout the year raises the money.

The HPD Canine Detail (K-9) was created in 1959 and currently has 16 officers, 3 Sergeants and one Lieutenant. There are 18 patrol dogs and 2 bloodhounds in the detail. The detail works 24 hours a day and answers about 600 calls for service a month with a capture rate of between 25 to 30 suspects per month. The dogs are used to search abandoned and occupied buildings and fields. The K-9's are also used to locate lost people and are often called on to assist other law enforcement agencies. Recently an HPD K-9 was used to capture a suspect wanted for shooting a police officer.

The Daughters of the British Empire or DBE is a nationwide group of women of British or Commonwealth birth or ancestry.

For additional information, please contact the HPD Public Affairs Division at 713-308-3200.