HUDSON – The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit received a donation from a local resident to purchase a bulletproof vest for one of its K-9’s.
Linda O’Neill donated funds to be used for K-9 Kira and her handler, Deputy Travis VanAlstyne.
The donation was given in honor of her late husband, Charlie O’Neil, who had a love of dogs and dedication for K-9 units.
Charlie O’Neil began training dogs in 1970 and at a time was living in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, where he trained a pure black German shepherd named “Caesar,” who was a family pet as well as a protector of his three young sons. During that time, he became passionate about police K-9 training and began to work with the New York State Police.
O’Neil became listed as a professional dog trainer in the permanent registry in 1975. He opened his own branch of K-9 patrol dogs in Massachusetts and later moved to Iowa where he began working with the Independence, Iowa Police Department training protection dogs for local businesses and homeowners.
“Mr. Middletown” passes away
April 29, 2024
