The Metropolitan Transportation Authority K-9 Unit dogs are fetching hefty price tags for their highly trained expertise.
The New York Times reports that each of the K-9 Unit German Shepherds costs the MTA about $6,000.
These dogs accompany MTA police officers in protecting countless commuters by inspecting unattended packages and assisting with the city’s subway patrols.
To replace older dogs that have been retired, six new dogs with some training were recently purchased for a total of $35,800. The MTA negotiated with dog provider Connecticut Canine Services to bring down the cost for each male to $6,000 and $5,800 for each female from the standard list price of $6,500, according to the Times.
In comparison to the cost of dogs purchased in September 2008, this new bunch cost $500 less for each male, and $400 less for each female.
Officials say that even the expensive prices for the city’s K-9 dogs are still cheaper than the prices other law enforcement agencies pay, even in New York and New Jersey. The authority told the Times that dogs trainable for explosive and bomb detection patrol range from $6,800 to $7,000.
According to the Times, the MTA police have 45 crime-fighting dogs. The NYPD uses almost double the number of canines with 86 dogs, and the Port Authority has 46 dogs.
The Connecticut Canine Services has an extensive East Coast clientele list, including the NYPD, NYC Bomb Squad, NYC Department of Corrections, and the NYC Department of Environmental Protection.
They offer police dogs, personal protection dogs, boarding, and training.
