Instead Of Birthday Presents, Woodbury Youngster Gives To PD K-9 Unit

It was Cole Shaback’s birthday, but the got the gift.

The Woodbury 7-year-old decided that instead of birthday presents this year, he wanted friends and family to donate money to the department’s K-9 unit.

On Wednesday, he presented officers with a check for $250. His birthday is Nov. 18.

Two years ago, Cole saw a at his school, , and never forgot it, said his mother, Heidi Shaback. (Cole’s sister Maddy, 8, used her seventh birthday to donate kits for earthquake-ravaged Haiti.)

“I was very proud,” Heidi said of her son’s decision.

Woodbury K-9 officer Jeff Gottstein said he was impressed that Cole decided to forgo presents to help the department. The money will go into a fund that helps retired police dogs and works to get a third K-9 for the Woodbury PD, he said.

“It’s a really cool thing for a kid to make that adult decision,” said Gottstein, who brought Levi, a German shepherd, to the check presentation. “I just think that’s pretty incredible.”

Cole—whose family has a shih tzu-bichon mix named Hudson—said he likes dogs.

“I like lots of things about them—they’re a really good pet,” he said.

Cole said he enjoys playing fetch with his dog and teaching it tricks.

“You can do sit and shake and sit and high-five,” he said.

Heidi said her son has expressed interest in becoming a police officer, but he’s also talked about wanting to drive a garbage truck or be a ninja.

“He has many interests,” she said.

On Wednesday, Cole himself said he wants to be an athlete when he grows up.

Though they are often used in narcotics detection, the primary job of Woodbury’s police dogs is to “act as a psychological deterrent,” Gottstein said.

In his dozen or so years as a K-9 officer, Gottstein said he has never gotten into a physical confrontation with a suspect when a dog has been present. (Levi lives with him.)

Cole seemed happy to see Levi running around the police headquarters on Wednesday.

“And I really like big dogs,” he said.