Lemos Feed & Pet Supply raises money for SB County Sheriff’s dogs

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The owner of Lemos Feed & Pet Supply, Mike Lemos, is requesting donations in the stores to help fund K9 Officers in the Santa Barbara County.

This fundraiser comes in response to the sudden passing of SB County K9 Officer, Chop. Chop died in January after not surviving an emergency surgery for an obstructed intestine.

“Working with Chop was special, he loved working and loved being there for me and my partners. He was truly a special dog”, says his handler, Deputy Shane Moore.

Lemos said that on average, K9 Officers have a service life of six to eight years. They are effective, cost-efficient members of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, who put their lives on the line every day to protect the community.

“The unit is primarily funded by donations to help support the K9s and their two-legged partners,” said Sgt. Morris, referring to the K9s handlers. “The donations help pay for the cost of specialized training for our K9 teams, as well as ballistic vests for the dogs, food, veterinary bills, and much needed equipment. We have sincere gratitude for Mike Lemos and his staff for reaching out to help support us by fundraising in their stores. The dollars raised in this campaign will go toward the purchase and training of a K9 Officer to be assigned to Deputy Moore.”

Donations of any size can be made by calling or visiting your local Lemos Feed & Pet Supply. They have 14 locations spanning from Carpinteria to Paso Robles.

All stores will be accepting donations, which are tax deductible, but the proceeds will benefit Santa Barbara County. The goal is to raise $25,000 so that they can add and train a replacement K9 to be assigned to Deputy Moore.