| Friday, September 18, 2009 |
| "Puppy Patrol" a Problem, Warns Sheriff - Sgt. Lesley Hill Peters |
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Sheriff Craig Webre is warning the public about solicitations being received by citizens of Lafourche Parish from an organization called “Puppy Patrol”. “The solicitor calls stating the organization is raising money to pay for police dogs to do school searches and such. And we’re not talking about pocket change here, they’re asking for hundreds of dollars,” said Sheriff Craig Webre.
Callers are being told donations can be sent to a Baton Rouge address. “That location is currently being checked out by the authorities,” said Webre. “The reality is, as far as we can elicit, there is no legitimate law enforcement agency participating with or receiving funds from this group.”
The Baton Rouge Police Department warned its citizens earlier this summer about the solicitations. During their investigation, they found the Louisiana solicitors are tied to a group out of Anderson, Indiana called Dogs against Drugs & Crime Puppy Patrol K-9 Program.
Neither “Puppy Patrol” nor “Dogs against Drugs” has responded to repeated requests from the Better Business Bureau for information. “Because of the number of questionable calls to citizens across Louisiana, the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office is now conducting a formal investigation,” said Sheriff Webre.
Sheriff Webre urges anyone who receives a call from “Puppy Patrol” or any group claiming to raise money for police agencies to contact the Louisiana Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-351-4889.
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