NYC-After the year we’ve had, even cat people will appreciate the NYPD dogs gracing the New York City Police Foundation’s 2021 calendar.
The four-legged crime fighters, often seen in the subway system or cited for their work sniffing out drugs or explosives, are a big part of the NYPD family. In fact, each one lives with their police officer handler and will typically spend their entire lives, even after retirement, with the officer’s family.
On duty, they “truly are New Yorker’s best friend,” said Susan Birnbaum, president of the foundation, a non-profit that funds various police initiatives and buys bullet-resistant vests.
“We are proud to honor them with this calendar,” she added.
The 13-month calendar can be bought for $20 on the foundation’s website. Proceeds help fund youth programs and pay for the purchase of more K-9s. The calendar also features police horses from the Mounted unit.
The calendar’s cover dog is Eddie, named for Eddie Byrne, the rookie cop executed in 1988 while watching over the Queens home of a drug witness. The bomb-sniffing K-9 joined the NYPD two years ago.
Eddie Byrne’s brother Larry Byrne died earlier this month at age 61. Until his retirement in July 2018, he served four years as the NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner for Legal Matters.
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