CASS COUNTY — The responsibilities of a police dog include much more than looking majestic and starring in buddy-cop movies.

They are an important part of the law enforcement process: some help track down criminals, while others like Faust of the Cass County Sheriff’s Office K-9 sniff out illicit materials such as drugs. These responsibilities often put them in the line of danger.

For instance, last week on Wednesday, March 28, Faust assisted the Cass County Drug Enforcement Team and the Ontwa Township Edwardsburg Police Department when officers charged a 41-year-old with possession methamphetamine, possession of marijuana and frequenting a drug house.

Due to these risks, it is helpful for police dogs like Faust and his partner, Deputy Dave Nevins, to be equipped with medical devices and potential life-saving materials, especially when they are consistently dealing with extremely toxic materials such as opioids, heroin and other drugs.

That is why the Cass County Sheriff’s Office recently applied for and received two different medical kits through K9s of Valor, a national nonprofit organization with a mission to provide life-saving equipment to police dogs.

“A K9 can be searching a vehicle, searching a house and if they go up to a drug and sniff it they can overdose almost instantly, and it’s the same thing with the actual officer,” said Nate King, the founder of K9s of Valor. “The slightest touch can cause them to overdose.”

King started K9s of Valor after K-9 Jethro, a police dog from his native state in Ohio, was tragically killed in the line of duty.

The two kits that Faust received are a Naloxone (Narcan) “Overdose Kit” and a “K-9 Trauma Kit.”

“The trauma kits address two things,” King said. “It addresses bone breaks and blood loss, so if the K-9 is out in the field and gets hurt in the line of duty or has blood loss, there’s equipment in there that will help him until he can reach a veterinarian’s office or hospital.”

Likewise, the Narcan Overdose Kit can be used to stabilize a police dog or a human officer in the event that they come into contact with a drug such as heroin, opioids and fentanyl, which King says is especially “powerful.”

“Some K-9 officers don’t work close to animal hospitals or the nearest one is a half an hour away,” he said. “So this equipment just covers the time in between.”

K9s of Valor is able to sponsor police dogs thanks to fundraisers and donations. A trauma kit costs $50 per police dog, while a Narcan Overdose kit costs $70.

“We’ve had an incredible response, and every day I get emails from officers that want to be signed up for this equipment,” he said. “We work tirelessly to fulfill them to help keep them safe. Obviously, we hope they never have to use them — that’s the goal — but it makes us a little glad they have this equipment just in case they do ever need it.”

For more information on K9s of Valor or to sponsor a police dog, visit K9sofvalor.org.