Twin Lakes officer gets to keep K9 partner for now; Village Board to vote Monday

Twin Lakes officer gets to keep K9 partner for now; Village Board to vote Monday

It appears a police dog in Twin Lakes will get to stay with his handler after all, after the Village Board reversed course.

IT APPEARS A POLICE DOG INTWIN LAKES WILL GET TO STAYWITH HIS HANDLER AFTER ALL.IT'S AN UPDATE TO A STORY WEFIRST BROUGHT YOU AT THIS TIMEYESTERDAYADRIANA MENDEZ SHOWSUS WHAT LED TO THE VILLAGEBOARD'S APPARENT CHANGE OFHEARTIN TWIN LAKES COMMUNITYMEMBERS RALLIED OUTSIDE OF THEPOLICE STATION TO KEEP ANOFFICER AND HIS K9 PARTNERTOGETHER... OFFICER JOE PATLAAND K9 REX WERE GREETED WITHCHEERS AS THEY ARRIVED AT THEPOLICE STATION.

PATLA WASORIGINALLY SUPPOSE TO TURN INTHE K9 TO THE DEPARTMENT THISAFTERNOON AFTER THE VILLAGEBOARD VOTED THAT THE OFFICERREX WOULD NEED TO STAY WITHTHE DEPARTMENT AND PART WAYSWITH REX AFTER PATLA ACCEPTEDA NEW POSITION ELSEWHERE.OFFICER PATLA OFFERED TO PAYFOR THE K9 BUT THAT OFFER WASALSO TURNED DOWN.

AFTER THEPEOPLE HERE IN TWIN LAKESHEARD THE TWO WOULD BESEPARATED-THEY RAISED MORETHAN 11 THOUSAND DOLLARS INLESS THAN 24 HOURS -TO KEEPOFFICER PATLA AND REXTOGETHER....TODAY - INSTEAD OFKEEPING THE DOG, THE VILLAGEBOARD DECIDED TO CONSIDERSELLING REX TO OFFICERPATLA... MEANING FOR NOW THETWO GET TO REMAIN TOGETHERPATLA SAYS REX IS MORE THAN AWORKING PARTNER-HE'S FAMILY.Rex is like a kid to me, yousaw eveything we went thoughhere the community put a lotinto it, the community put alot of effort into getting himand with him spending threeyears at home with me 24/7it's a bond even above havingjust a regular house dogANDOFFICER PATLA SAYS ISOVERWHELMED BY THE COMMUNITYSUPPORT...AND SAYS HE DOESNTKNOW HOW HE IS GOING TO REPAYTHE GENEROSITY BUT PEOPLE WHORAISED THE MONEY SAY HE DOESNTHAVE TOAnd the village boardwill discuss SELLING REX TOOFFICER PALTA at a specialsession on monday Reporting intwin lakes Adriana Mendez TMJ4new