POCATELLO — If the City Council approves a generous donation from a local family during its regular meeting at City Hall Thursday, the Pocatello Police Department will soon have a new K-9 officer.

The Meador family, who owns and operates local Ford, Toyota and Subaru car dealerships, has offered to donated $10,000 to the Pocatello Police Department to obtain a K-9 police dog to replace Bart, a 5-year-old brindle Dutch Shepherd who died from a sudden genetic heart condition while on duty in November.

“When we heard that Bart passed away of a heart attack or some heart complications at 5 years old, I know it was heartbreaking for his handler, Cpl. Akilah Lacey, and it was for us, too,” said Jason Meador, the general manager for each of the Meador car dealerships. “My family and I have always given money to the Pocatello Animal Shelter and Bannock Humane Society and are very big about helping out animals. My parents have dogs and I have three black labs myself, so we are definitely dog people and animal people. When we heard that Akilah had lost his dog, partner and friend it was a no-brainer for us to decide to help out in getting another police canine for the department.”

In addition to their strong affection for dogs, Meador also decided to offer the donation because of his personal relationship with Lacey, who he’s known since 2003 when the two started playing football together at Idaho State University.

“I’ve known Akilah since he came here to attend Idaho State University,” Meador said. “We played football at ISU together for a few years as he was a freshman and I was a junior. I also continued to coach after I quit playing. I have known him for the last 18 years or so and he and I have always been great friends.”

Meador noted the donation is a personal donation from his family, not from any of the Meador car dealerships.

Capt. Cliff Kelley said if the request is approved during the meeting, which starts at 6 p.m. on Thursday, the $10,000 donation would be used to purchase a new police canine from a kennel. Kelley said the department is equipped with the technical ability and knowledge to train the new police dog on tactics associated with assisting in arrests as well as sniffing narcotics and potentially dangerous, suspicious packages.

Some of the Pocatello City Council is already voicing their support for the donation, crediting the Meador family with such a warm, and generous gesture of kindness.

“I don’t anticipate any opposition to this request at all,” said Council President Heidi Adamson. “We all know how much Bart meant to Cpl. Akilah Lacey and to the rest of the police department, so this is a really great thing.”

Councilmember Rick Cheatum added, “I think this is a tremendously generous thing from the Meadors. I am all in favor and I can only say that I wish we had more folks with the community spirit that the Meadors have. I am very much in favor of this.”

There is, however, one city council member who has questions about the donation.

“I’m really not sure how I feel about it,” said councilmember Claudia Ortega. “Part of me thinks that is a very nice gesture and part of me is concerned about whether $10,000 will be enough for everything. I have some reservations, especially when we are heading into the budgetary process.”

The document about the request to council to approve the donation included in the Pocatello City Council agenda for Thursday explains that Pocatello police informed Meador that “the city of Pocatello and its police department will have complete ownership of the dog once the purchase is made,” and that “it is understood by Mr. Meador that the management of the Pocatello Police Department will have the final say of who will be the handle for said canine.”

Capt. Kelley declined to comment on whether or not Cpl. Lacey has plans to work with a canine partner in the future.

“While the handler for the new canine may not be Akilah, no matter who the next dog’s handler will be, we understand how important of an asset that a canine police dog is for our community,” Meador said.

Since it was launched in 1999, the Pocatello Police Department’s canine unit has grown to be one of the “finest and most successful canine units in the state,” according to the agenda item document. 

Born in Holland on Aug. 29, 2012, canine officer Bart joined the Pocatello Police Department on Feb. 22, 2015, Lacey told the Idaho State Journal in December. Lacey obtained Bart from Ketchum Kennels in Coeur d’Alene.

While on duty, Bart had a relentless drive as one of the region’s best patrol canines. He was responsible for several large-scale drug seizures throughout his career, helped arrest numerous suspects and his presence alone prevented many other suspects from fleeing, Lacey said in December.

On Tuesday, Lacey expressed his gratefulness to the Meador family, while also recognizing how much Bart truly meant to him.

“No amount of money can replace Bart,” Lacey said. “But that said, I have known the Meador family for a long time and for them to consider helping our city fill a need in this way is amazing. I'm grateful for them and their act of kindness.”