Ocean City will pay for K-9's surgery

OCEAN CITY — The Town Council voted to offer former police officer Earl Campbell a monetary reimbursement for his longtime K-9 partner’s surgery.

Campbell ended his relationship with the Ocean City Police Department by way of resignation Dec. 5, the same day Charlie, the dog, was retired. Campbell was upset with the way police leaders responded to his urging Charlie be retired so Campbell could assume ownership and pay for the 7-year-old German shepherd’s medical care.

At Monday night’s meeting, President Jim Hall suggested the council move to have Police Chief Bernadette DiPino contact Campbell about a reimbursement from the town.

Hall brought the idea of a payment up after he stated publicly that he and the council had not been aware of the controversial happenings in the police department as they transpired, and the council also had nothing to do with any decisions made during the sequence of events.

“We had no part in the situation,” he said, adding because the dog was an employee of the town when he was injured, a reimbursement would be “the right thing to do.”

In an email, Campbell wrote he appreciates Hall’s comments but the real concern is “making sure this never happens again. Sure, it hurt my pocket to spend the money, but the money isn’t anything compared to the suffering Charlie went through.”

Campbell said he will wait and see if he is contacted by town officials.

Councilmen Doug Cymek, Lloyd Martin, Jim Hall and Councilwoman Mary Knight voted in favor of the measure. Councilmen Joe Hall and Brent Ashley voted against it. Councilwoman Margaret Pillas was absent.

“As a K-9, (Charlie) helped make a lot of arrests,” Cymek said.

Joe Hall said he didn’t have enough specific information on the situation to vote for the motion, though he was not against the idea itself. He maintained a document he’d seen from Charlie’s veterinarian recommended he be removed from police service, but the note also said the dog could have been made comfortable through medication. He wanted to seek more information — including an opinion from the veterinarian — on the situation before opting to pay.

When asked by Ashley moments before the vote, DiPino said the department had followed the proper procedures in place for the situation. Ashley said her answer helped him make his decision.

“I don’t know why the council got involved,” he said. “I think that sets a bad precedent.”

DiPino pointed out that Campbell had not asked OCPD at any point to contribute money for Charlie’s surgery, and if he had done so, the department would have considered it.

smuska@dmg.gannett.com