Gardena police dog update

My colleagure Larry Atman has written this update on a police dog that died last week. Readers, animal lovers and police supporters have rallied to help the Gardena Police Department get a new dog.

Larry, who has his own South Bay crime blog, writes:

An anonymous donor, South Bay companies and a group of residents have donated thousands of dollars to the Gardena Police Department to help officers pay for a new police dog.
The donations followed last week's death of Sammy, who tracked down criminals and sniffed out drugs. Sammy died following an illness.
Gardena police Sgt. Steve Prendergast said employees at Toyota Financial Services and Toyota Motor Sales in Torrance provided about $5,000 while Sammy was still alive to help pay for medical bills.
Following a Daily Breeze article on Friday about Sammy's passing, readers made donations, including a man who responded with $10,000. He wished to remain anonymous.
"He's just a very generous person," Prendergast said. "It's just a man who has a passion for animals and believes in giving back to the community. We are very appreciative."
Officers estimate it costs $10,000 to $12,000 to buy a new dog and train an officer.
Police dogs are funded by public donations.
A new dog is expected to be working in about two months, Prendergast said. Another dog currently is in training.