Shaw Foundation donates $15,000 to Lower Burrell for new police dog

The Officer Brian Shaw Foundation donated $15,000 to the Lower Burrell police department to buy and train a new police dog.

The foundation was established to honor the memory of Shaw, a New Kensington police officer who was fatally shot while on duty in 2017.

His foundation continues to support first responders, local police departments and police officers in training.

“Our department is very blessed to receive this generous donation and to have the support from Mayor Andrejcik and city council to continue the K-9 program in Lower Burrell,” Lower Burrell police Chief John Marhefka said.

The Shaw Foundation has donated money for police dogs to other police departments, including Allegheny Valley Regional and New Kensington.

Brian Shaw’s brother, Steffan, said earlier that police dogs are an asset to a police department and that Brian loved dogs.

“If a K-9 officer would have been there the night Brian died, things could have turned out differently,” Shaw said.

A new police dog is needed for the Lower Burrell Police Department.

The city’s current dog handler, Sgt. Steve Cernava and his dog, Dax, are set to retire in May, Marhefka said.

Officer Aaron Rodgers will succeed Cernava as the department’s canine handler.

Past handlers have included Lt. Rob Galvanek with dog Jerry Lee, and Officer Derek Kotecki with dogs Benny and Odin. Kotecki was killed in the line of duty in 2011.

Police dog programs are essential to police work, especially in police work involving illegal drugs, Marhefka said.

The dogs also are beloved in many communities.

Lower Burrell uses its dogs in tracking and apprehending suspects and detecting marijuana, methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine, he said.