New Illinois Bill Covers Vet Bills, Helps Retired K9 Officers

The best puppers.

Dogs may be smarter than us humans. They can understand words, we can't pick up on bark translations. Some of the smartest, toughest dogs become K-9 officers.

Now, HB 3140 in Illinois creates the Care for Retired Police Dogs Program.

According to WAND News, the new bill would reimburse handlers/adopters for veterinary expenses tied to a dog's service-related injuries for up to $1,500 per year. That isn't funded by taxpayer money, it's totally funded by sales of the Illinois Police K-9 Memorial specialty plates.

If you've ever had pets, you know vet bills can be brutal, especially as the dog gets older. This bill would help handlers and retired K-9 adopters with that.

Jeff Moore, a retired Illinois State Police K-9 handler, has served for 13 years with 3 different K-9's and has seen the toll that the work can take on a dog. One of his dogs helped stop a burglary, as he recalls it to WAND:

He climbed a six-foot ladder, went through the window, and when he jumped down, his back legs spread out and he tore one of the tendons in his hip. The medications and everything that was required for him were not cheap.

The Illinois Secretary of State has to get at least 2,000 applications for the K-9 Memorial plate for the program to launch. It's an additional $25.

The goal of the bill is to give retired K-9 officers the peaceful, easy retirement they deserve. The bill has bipartisan support and has yet to be signed into law, so license plate sales haven't started yet.