PISMO BEACH CITY COUNCIL STAF REPOR
Agenda Item #3.B
Meetin Date: September 15, 2026
TITLE:
Police K-9 Program Costs and Funding
RECOMMENDATION:
Receive a report regarding the Police Department K-9 Program, including its current funding structure, operational expenses, and estimated costs associated with transitioning the program to City funding, and provide direction to staff if desired.
DISCUSSION:
The Pismo Beach Police Department currently operates a K-9 Program that has been established and maintained by Cty funding, private donations, and community support.
The program provides the Police Department with specialized capabilities that support a variety of law enforcement operations, including suspect apprehension, building and area searches, tracking, evidence recovery, and other functions, with plans to train the K-9 team in narcotics detection.
As the program has developed, recurring expenses associated with maintaining a trained and operational K-9 have continued to be supported through donated funds. While this funding model has allowed the program to operate without a significant impact on the City's General Fund, donations are variable and cannot be relied upon as a consistent long-term funding source.
This report provides the City Council with an overview of the K-9 Program, its current expenses, available donation funding, and the estimated fiscal impact should the City Council elect to incorporate all or a portion of the program's ongoing expenses into the City’s operating budget.
Staff seeks City Council direction regarding whether it wishes to consider transitioning the K-9 Program to a fully City-funded program as part of a future budget process.
Current Funding Structure
The K-9 Police Officer and Vehicle are currently funded by the City through the Police Department Budget and the Motor Vehicle Budget, respectively. The vehicle is scheduled to be replaced every four years. All other expenses associated with the K-9 Program are currently funded primarily through donations received from community members, organizations, fundraising activities, and/or other private sources.
Donation funding has historically been used to support expenses including:
K-9 acquisition and initial training
Food and routine care
Veterinary and medical expenses
Training and certification
Specialized K-9 equipment
Council Agenda 9-15-2026 3.B-1
Vehicle-related equipment
Handler equipment and supplies
Merchandise to sell at fundraising events
Kenneling of K-9
Replacement of equipment; and
Other expenses directly associated with the operation of the K-9 program
As of August 20, 2026 the K-9 Program has an available donation fund balance of approximately $26,000. This current balance is the result of several months of fundraising by the K-9 Officer, local business owners, and donations from charitable individuals.
There have been periods over the last three years when the K-9 fund balance was approximately $2,500.
While existing funds may continue to support eligible K-9 related expenses, the available balance is finite. Future donations are not guaranteed and may fluctuate significantly from year to year.
K-9 Program Expenses
In preparation for this report, staff compiled a summary of estimated costs associated with operating the K-9 Program. It should be noted that due to major medical expenses, the K-9 Program secured a Pet Health Insurance Policy with a 90% reimbursement in February of 2025. Medical expenses are required to be paid up front, then covered treatment is reimbursed at 90% to the K-9 Program by the insurance agency. Prior to securing a Pet Insurance Policy, the K-9 Program was responsible for over $7,000 in medical expenses. Since securing insurance the K-9 Program has been responsible for paying approximately $3,000 in medical expenses with 90% being reimbursed.
Tables 1 and 2 summarize the estimated costs associated with operating the Police Department K-9 Program.
Table 1. Current City Expenses for K-9 Program
Current Cit Expenses Totals
Police -9 Vehicle, Ford Explore $95,000
Police Officer Salar and Benefits 2026 est. $206,675
Total Motor Vehicle and Personnel Cost: $301,675
Table 2. K-9 Program Reccuring Annual Expenses
K-9 Pro ram Reccurin Annual Expenses Totals
Food and Routine Care $1,000
Boardin max. 21 ni hts per ear, $72 per ni ht $1,512
Routine Veterinary and Medical Expenses (reimbursed 90%) $1,000 Emergency Medical Expenses Upfront Reserve (2024 cost) $7,000 Training and Annual Certification $2,500
K-9 Equipment and supplies (collar, harness, leash, etc.) $500 Council Agenda 9-15-2026 3.B-2
Pet Insurance Policy (per year) $1,300
Replacement Equipment $300
International Police Canine Association Membership $45
Total (including upfront reserve for medical expenses): $15,175
In addition to recurring annual expenses, the K-9 Program may periodically incur larger, non-recurring costs associated with the acquisition and training of the replacement K-9, major medical expenses, or replacement of specialized equipment. It should be noted that the City absorbed the replacement cost of the K-9 vehicle (fully outfitted Police Ford Explorer) into its motor vehicle budget in 2025. Prior to this, funds from the K-9 account were utilized to purchase and outfit the patrol vehicle. Table 3 summarizes these estimated costs.
Table 3. Estimated Non-recurring and Long-Term Expenses
Estimated Non-recurring and Long-Term Expenses Frequency Estimated Cost
Acquisition of replacement -9 5-6 ears $12,500
Initial -9 Trainin 6-week trainin 5-6 ears $6,000
Handler Lod in and Meals & Incidental Expenses 5-6 ears $6,000 -9 Mana ement School course plus lod in , M&IE 4 ears $1,300 Narcotics Trainin 4-week trainin 5-6 ears $5,000
Handler Lod in and M&IE 5-6 ears $4,500
Kennel for -9 home-based 5-6 ears $1,500
Estimated Total: 4-6 ears $36,800
Alternatives
Continue with the current strategy of partial City funding of the K-9 Program to include the K-9 Vehicle and personnel costs, relying on donations to fund the remaining cost of the K-9 Program.
Conclusion and Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council receive the information contained in this report and provide direction to staff regarding whether it wishes to consider transitioning the K- 9 Program to a fully City-funded program as part of a future budget process.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The K-9 Officer position is currently funded through the City’s General Fund Police Department budget, while the K-9 vehicle is funded through the Motor Vehicle Replacement Fund, which is also supported by the General Fund.
All other K-9 Program costs are funded primarily through donations from community members, organizations, fundraising activities, and other private sources. These costs are approximately $15,175 annually, plus an average of $7,360 in one-time costs, for an Council Agenda 9-15-2026 3.B-3
estimated total of $22,535 per year. The current K-9 Program account balance is approximately $26,000.
Annual donations fluctuate based in part on the available K-9 Program fund balance.
Generally, donations and fundraising activity are lower when sufficient funds are available and increase as the account balance declines.
If the Council desires to provide additional General Fund support for the K-9 Program, it could consider funding all or a portion of the Program’s recurring or one-time costs; providing General Fund support only when available K-9 funds are insufficient to cover annual costs; or directing staff to implement another funding approach. These options would reduce the Program’s reliance on donations while allowing the Council to determine the appropriate level of ongoing City support.
ATTACHMENTS:
None
Prepared by:
Chris Trimble, Police Commander
Submitted by: Jeff Smith, Chief of Police
City Manager Approval:
Council Agenda 9-15-2026 3.B-4