Grand Island, Neb. — The Grand Island Police Department has grown by three total officers this week, but two of them have a bit more fur on them.
“Boone” will serve the community as GIPD’s newest therapy dog and “Cello” is the newest member of the K9 Unit at the department. Boone comes to the department after a generous $26,000 donation from Hornady Manufacturing, while Cello joins GIPD thanks to funds raised by Hall County Crimestoppers and previous donations.
“It’s been a mission of ours to grow our K9 units for years,” Grand Island Police Chief Kevin Denney said. “The community support we have here in Grand Island is unmatched, and I can’t wait to see how both Boone and Cello serve the city.”
On Thursday, August 15, the two dogs were sworn into service by Chief Denney after they received a tour of Hornady Manufacturing, officially making them active officers.
Boone, with primary handler Ofc. Tyler Noel, will serve all of Grand Island Public Schools and will also be made available for any crisis event and people in need throughout the community. Cello, with primary handler Ofc. Bourke Bowen, has now officially been deployed into the K9 unit of GIPD.
“I’ve been waiting since May of 2023 for this, so I’m excited that he’s finally here,” Ofc. Noel said. “The wait list was pretty long, but we’re excited. It’s going to help a lot of officers in our peer support and mental wellness programs that we have.”