ADAMS, Mass. — Community members in collaboration with the Hometown Foundation raised $10,000 for the Police Department's new K-9, Adam.  

 

The personable 11-month-old German shepherd excitedly greeted officers, community and organization leaders at Adams Hometown Market on Friday morning during the K-9 reveal. 

 

"[Police Departments] don't always have the money to buy, and it's very true around the Berkshires. We just don't have the money to buy things like canines. There's a lot of training, there's a lot of money involved," Police Chief Scott Kelley said. 

 

"So, to have the Hometown Foundation do what they did for us is just wonderful and it couldn't have come at a perfect time because it is time for Kumar to retire. 10 years is a lot for a working dog."

 

The Police Department acquired Kumar in 2014 through a $25,000 grant from the Stanton Foundation and the German shepherd's been memorialized with a life-size carving at Town Hall. 

 

Kumar, the force's first K-9, came from the Netherlands. Adam, also a German shepherd, arrived two weeks ago from the Czech Republic. Where Kumar responds to Dutch, Adam takes commands in Czech.

 

Adam will be taking over Kumar’s duties once he is fully trained and he and handler Sgt. Curtis Crane will participate in a 10-week patrol school and a four-week narcotics school. 

 

Although Kumar, now 10, retired earlier this month, he will assist the department until Adam has completed his training. He will continue to have eight hours of maintenance training a week and recertify every year during his career. 

 

Officers said K-9s are an integral part of the department assisting in missing persons, community relations and drug searches. Kumar helped the Adams community as well as other communities throughout the area, Kelley said  

 

"We're more approachable when we have a dog. You know, Adams is a dog friendly community. Everybody loves dogs and Adam, which benefits us greatly," Crane said

 

Adam is the first K-9 fully funded through the Hometown Foundation's Police K-9 Awareness Fundraiser. 

 

"The reason why this is so special with this canine donation is this is the first donation that we have been able to do through 100 percent retailer fundraising," said Meghan Sullivan, events and marketing manager for the foundation. The effort uses fundraising tools such as round up a receipt.

 

"All of that goes into the canine fund and then we are able to then donate. I think they're going to do one more but this is the first one that is due to retail fundraising, which is pretty incredible."

 

The fundraiser collected in-store donations over the past year or so at the register in all 18 Adams Hometown Market locations.

 

"I think it shows tangible results. It's like the community comes together and is able monetarily-wise to actually give something tangible that will help this community because this dog will be able to protect, be a community liaison, and a builder between police and the townspeople," Sullivan said. 

 

"And so it's kind of a win-win on everything, and as I said, a lot of people want to see where their money is going right if they're participating in a fundraiser. So here is a tangible product of of that fundraiser"

 

In addition to the donation of K-9 Adam, the Adams Hometown Market store, beginning this month, will provide financial aid of $2,000 per year for five years to support the Adams K-9 unit through ongoing in-store fundraising programs. For the past several years, the 

 

"The people of the town of Adams have always supported their Police Department, they support town functions. Adams is a quintessential New England community and when there is a need, everybody always comes together and does what they need," Town Administrator Jay Green said.  

 

"Adams is a very generous community. We're a blue-collar community but yet at the same time, we've always had a spirit of giving. When things like this come up, that's going to benefit the community, people give. In this day and age it is a pleasure to see, and it's satisfying to see."

 

Kelley added to this sentiment saying he has been in law enforcement for 30 years, whether when he was in the South or here, the work is the same but the community is wonderful. 

 

"All these officers came out," he said, looking around at the crowd. "Most of them are off. They came in for this. So, our department supports the community and the community supports us. It's a great working relationship."