Press release from American Kennel Club:
RALEIGH, NC — AKC Reunite, the largest non-profit pet microchip identification and recovery service provider in the United States, is pleased to announce $526,500 in donations to K-9 units throughout the country through its AKC Reunite Adopt a K-9 Cop matching grant program in 2021. Funds were raised by contributions from AKC dog clubs and community members, with AKC Reunite matching donations at a three-to-one ratio.
The Adopt a K-9 Cop program allows AKC Reunite to match funds from AKC Clubs, AKC affiliated organizations and the public, three-to-one, up to $7,500 per grant through the Canine Support and Relief fund. These donations help police departments throughout the United States purchase K-9 police dogs. Many of the police dogs acquired with the help of these grants are used as patrol dogs as well as detection dogs, helping to locate narcotics, explosives and/or evidence.
“More than $500,000 has been donated through the Adopt a K-9 Cop matching grant program in 2021 and we hope to grow that number in 2022,” said Tom Sharp, AKC Reunite CEO. “The grants donated to K-9 units across the nation helps them acquire new police dogs, contributing to increased safety in their communities.”
The most recent grants were donated to the following police departments:
California
Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office
Colorado
Loveland Police Department (two grants)
Georgia
Jacksonville Police Department
Iowa
Decorah Police Department
Minnesota
Kanabec Police Department
St. Cloud Police Department
Mississippi
Hattiesburg Public School District Police Department
Jones County Sheriff’s Department
North Carolina
Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office and Currituck County Sheriff’s Office
North Dakota
Jamestown Police Department
Ohio
Jackson Center Police Department
Oklahoma
Locust Grove Police Department
McClain County Sheriff’s Office
Okmulgee County Criminal Justice Authority
Roland Police Department
Salina Police Department
Tulsa Oklahoma Police Department (three grants)
South Carolina
Greenville County Sheriff’s OfficeContributing clubs for these donations include the United States Police Canine Association, the Upper Iowa Training Club, Inc., the Greenville Kennel Club and the Lost Coast Kennel Club.
A total of 95 Adopt a K-9 Cop grants have been awarded since the inception of the program. Learn more about how to get involved in AKC Reunite Adopt a K-9 Cop program and see pictures and stories of dogs already donated at https://www.akcreunite.org/k9/.
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