The pace at which the city of Butler’s K-9 program has advanced from nonexistence just five months ago establishes a positive example for other communities to study and emulate — not only regarding police dogs, but also for other proposals.

Unlike other initiatives over the years that were discussed in Butler but then forgotten, the K-9 effort shows what can be accomplished if all positive elements of a community combine their energies on behalf of a worthy goal.

For Butler, the K-9 program is a wake-up call about how to get things done. Less than four months after the K-9 effort got into high gear, the program has raised nearly $41,000, the city has purchased one of two dogs that will join the police department, and Patrol Officer Brian Grooms has been named the department’s first K-9 officer.

It’s anticipated that Grooms and the dog — Yukon — will be on duty together by late November. Plans call for a second dog and its handler to begin training in early 2013.

As many city residents know, the seeds for the K-9 program were planted in March when Island neighborhood businessman Denny Offstein met with the city’s new police chief, Ronald Fierst.

At that meeting, Offstein suggested that the city police obtain a police dog; Fierst agreed.

But both Offstein and Fierst were well aware that the financially strapped city didn’t have the money for the program.

But shortly thereafter, things began to happen. First, Offstein wrote a letter to the editor, “City needs police dog,” that was printed in the April 6 Butler Eagle. A few days later, he made a one-year, interest-free, $10,000 loan to the city to jump-start the program.

Activity on K-9 fundraising kicked into high gear almost immediately, with others coming forward to provide financial support. Evans City’s police dog and handler visited the city in late April for a demonstration of the value of having a K-9 aboard.

In the weeks that followed, department officers got involved with the fundraising and getting the word out about the program’s benefits for the community.

In addition to the announcement about the amount of money raised and the selection of Grooms to be Yukon’s handler, the city has bought a K-9 vehicle and arranged for the necessary modifications.

Meanwhile, the sale of special K-9 program t-shirts has raised in excess of $4,800.

In so many communities, including Butler, good ideas over the years fell by the wayside because they never caught on with more than a few people. To Butler’s credit, this time an informal discussion led to a result that will benefit the entire city — with the exception of criminals, of course.

And, to the credit of everyone involved, the K-9 effort has proceeded forward with few, if any, setbacks — the kind of path all good programs should follow.