GOLDEN, Colo. — The Golden Police Department is working to raise enough money to bring on a second K-9 for its unit.
Currently, Golden PD has only one K-9 working on its team: Mao.
Mao was picked up in California in 2018 by his handler, K-9 Officer Shawn Henslee, who has been with the department for 17 years.
"He was already the best dog. They had to train me how to work with him," Henslee said with a smile.
Mao is trained to detect illegal narcotics and track scents. The Belgian Malinois has become Henslee's best friend over the years.
"If he could drive, I'd be out of a job," Henslee said, laughing. "They're faster than us. They can catch bad guys faster than we can. They keep us from getting shot at."
Unfortunately, Mao was diagnosed with cancer. Veterinarians told Henslee he would not live past September 2024.
"Lot of tears. You're with these dogs more than you're with your family," Henslee said. "They protect you. They're with you in your car every day. I don't know what I'm going to do the day that I'm in a patrol car and he doesn't stick his nose in my ear while we're driving along the road."
Henslee said Mao underwent surgery and has lived longer than doctors predicted.
"The vet told me he didn't know why he was still here, and it was a miracle. And I'm just taking every day that I can and enjoying it and counting it as a blessing," said Henslee.
Henslee's fellow officer, Christian Whyte, started the fundraiser for a second K-9 in February 2024 — a year after a Jefferson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) K-9 was killed in the line of duty. K-9 Graffit was tracking down a suspect before he was killed near W. 6th Avenue and 19th Street.
Officer Whyte responded to the original call for an unresponsive driver that day.
"During that call, the driver woke up after we started knocking on his door, and he fled the scene in a vehicle. He was driving all over the road erratically, going into oncoming traffic. I believed at the time that he was an impaired driver and that he was probably going to kill someone the way he was driving," Whyte said.
A chase ensued — first with vehicles and then on foot. Backup was called, and that's when Graffit responded.
"I do harbor a lot of guilt from that night," Whyte said. "Graffit saved our life that night. If it wasn't for him, we'd have three dead officers because we could not see where that suspect was."
That connection to Graffit inspired Whyte to help acquire a second K-9 for the Golden Police Department.
"They are one of the best tools that we have in our arsenal to, you know, track down missing children, find suspects, locate narcotics, keep guns and drugs off the streets. I don't think they get the recognition that they just fully deserve," said Whyte.
A nonprofit organization, Heroes with Paws, partnered with Golden PD to help raise money for a second K-9. Primarily, the group provides protective gear for canines, but they can also work on projects, such as the collaboration with Golden police.
"Any opportunity we can assist them, whether it's taking donations on their behalf or just being out with them in the general public helping them raise money, we want to be there right by their side because we want them to be successful and we want them to achieve their goal," said Darby Kelly, co-chair of Heroes with Paws.
Kelly said the cost of a K-9 varies depending on the level of training the dog has undergone at the time of purchase.
"The cost of canines can go anywhere from $7,000, $7,500 and can go up to in excess of $20,000," Kelly explained.
Kelly said the group has raised roughly $20,000 and needs around $5,000 more to purchase a K-9 and the different equipment the dog will need.
Ultimately, Whyte said the goal is to raise an additional $50,000 to cover the cost of a K-9 Unit cruiser in order to get the dog out into the community as quickly as possible. K-9 cars come with special technology that can alert handlers if the car is too hot while the dog is inside and can even open the back windows to provide some airflow.
"That's not a cheap piece of equipment, but it will save their life. If I've, for some reason, had to jump out of the car really quick, and Lord forbid I'm going to do something and it gets too hot in there, it'll turn on. It'll turn the air conditioner up. It'll roll down the windows. It will put the fan on, and that'll keep [the K-9] safe," explained Henslee.
Donations can be made through the Heroes with Paws website or can be paid directly to the Golden Police Department. To donate directly to Golden PD, a check can be addressed to the department with "K-9 Unit" written in the memo line.
To learn more about the fundraiser, email Officer Whyte at cwhyte@cityofgolden.net or the nonprofit organization at heroeswithpaws@gmail.com.
Challenge Coins for Mao can also be purchased through the Heroes with Paws website.
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