Pasco K-9s Move Closer To Having A Home Of Their Own

After months of , the new home of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office’s K-9 Unit will move a step closer to becoming reality today.

Thanks to the of the Leadership Pasco Class of 2011, the sheriff’s office can officially break ground on a new headquarters for the unit. The 1,186-square-foot building will be housed on the grounds of the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center near the new . The new building will provide the unit office space of its own, kennel space for four dogs, a shower area, storage and more.

The central location of the new building really appeals to members of the K-9 unit.

“From here, we can be anywhere in the county (in minutes),” explained Sgt. Brian Brosnan, who heads up the K-9 unit.

The new building has a price tag of about $120,000. Much of the money, however, is covered because the leadership class has been able to get material donations. Add to this the fact the county already owns the land and that inmate labor can be used for construction and the cash required was reduced greatly.

Leadership Pasco class members had raised about $20,000 going into last month’s Taste of Pasco fundraising event. That festival, which coincided with former , pulled in about another $18,000, said Skip Miller, class of 2011 president.

Shortly after the event, Miller said the group was very close to achieving its goal.

“It was a tremendous event and we feel very good about our accomplishment for a first-time event,” he wrote in an email about the Taste of Pasco. “ We had over 700 people come through the doors and the parking lots were full all the way to Safety Town. I am very pleased and feel great about the community support that our project has received.”

Class members chose the K-9 Unit headquarters as a project because of the impact this particular group of two-and-four-legged officers has on the county.

“We wanted a project that would have an impact on the entire community,” Miller said. “We didn’t want to get segmented. That’s how we knew right away (this was the project). What they do daily impacts the entire community.” 

Leadership Pasco is an organization that identifies and trains current and future community leaders to give them hands-on experience with the issues the county faces. Each year a class of applicants is selected to undergo an intensive program that includes visits to a variety of different industries that operate in Pasco. Members traditionally take on a large service project.

According to Pasco County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Kevin Doll, the ground breaking takes place at 2 p.m. today, May 17. Check back with Patch tomorrow for coverage of the event.