From left, Carla Caccavale, Lindsay Ezikian, Leanne Simonsen and Sal Khan with K9 Reis. (Credit: Courtesy of Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office)
On a warm Saturday afternoon, Leanne Simonsen met a pup whose work with the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department will be made safer because of a foundation established to honor her fallen husband, Brian.
At a ceremony outside the department’s administration building in Riverhead, Reis, a 2-year-old Dutch Shepherd and his handler, Deputy Sheriff Jason Korte, were presented with a ballistic vest specially made for Reis, with the cost paid for by the Simonsen Foundation.
Ms. Simonsen spoke about how honored she was to continue the work of the foundation, which was established after the death in the line of duty of her husband, NYPD Dt. Brian Simonsen in 2019. One of the goals of the Simonsen Foundation is animal rescue and on Saturday, Ms. Simonsen came to the rescue of Reis.
LongIsland.com
The Suffolk County Sheriffâs Office has a total of six canine teams; three for the police division and three for the correction division.
K9 Agar and K9 Reis. Photo Credit: Suffolk County Sheriffâs Office The mission of these New York State certified canine teams is to support the daily operations of the Sheriff’s Office as well as other law enforcement agencies upon request. The Sheriff’s Office Police Division canines are bred in Europe before being purchased by a third-party vendor and flown to the United States. The police dogs may receive some preliminary protection dog training in Europe but receive their police-specific training in the United States with our trainers.