Nanaimo RCMP Const. Josh Grafton and police service dog Jager paid a special visit recently to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital emergency room staff.
The K9 team stopped by to receive a $700 donation from ER staff who are also supporters of Ned’s Wish, a charity that provides financial support for retired police dogs.
Ned’s Wish was created in 2016 in memory of Ned, a police services dog that, after retiring, died from injuries he suffered on the job. Since his death Ned’s Wish has supported a number of retired police dogs, including Timber, a dog that needed specially designed wheelchair after he was diagnosed with degenerative maylopathy; Ozzie, which needs medically approved dog food because of severe allergies and Tito, a dog that needs pain medication because of an old injury.
“Working in the emergency department, you see trauma in lives every day,” said Sherry Volk, nursing unit assistant and local Ned’s Wish contact, in a press release. “The staff in Nanaimo Emergency are big dog lovers and appreciate that the police dogs and their handlers also face dangerous and unpredictable incidents. The staff at Nanaimo emergency wanted to give a gift of gratitude to the police dogs, to let them and their handlers know, that we appreciate what they do for our community.”
Financial donations to Ned’s Wish make a significant impact on health care costs and enhancing the quality of life of retired police dogs across Canada. To find out more about Ned’s Wish, visit www.nedswish.com.
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