K9 Flash is Named the 2018 Law Enforcement Dog of the Year!

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Flash, a retired K9 officer and Project K-9 Hero ambassador, has been named a finalist for the 2018 American Humane Hero Dog Award. The annual, nationwide contest honors “ordinary dogs who do extraordinary things,” according to the Hero Dog Awards website. K9 Flash’s charity partner is K9s4COPs.

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO VOTE EVERYDAY FOR K9 FLASH! You can vote once per day through September, 5th to help K9s4COPs win $7,500!

VOTE HERE: http://herodogawards.org/dog/k-9-flash/

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K-9 Flash went from a shelter puppy, deemed unadoptable, to becoming a successful Narcotics Detection Police K-9 with over 3,000 deployments and 2200 narcotic related finds and seizures in her career. After serving from 2005-2013 with the Yakima, WA Police Department Flash retired once again needing a home. Her original handler and trainer, Jason Johnson, got the opportunity to adopt her after he had left for federal service and was teaching K-9 courses in Virginia.

Flash then inspired Jason to start a national non-profit, Project K-9 Hero, to help other retired Police K-9 and Military Working Dog Heroes with medical care, food, and death benefit assistance once they are no longer covered by the agencies they serve. Their foundation has helped over 30 retired heroes with medical costs and they have another 45 in waiting for financial assistance.

There are seven categories and the K9 with the top votes in each category will be flown to Hollywood, California with their owner. They will attend the American Humane Hero Dog Awards gala on September 29th where the winning K9 will be announced live. The gala will be broadcasted on the Hallmark Channel in the fall.

Each 2018 Hero Dog Awards Finalist receives $2,500 for their charity partner, donated by American Humane. K9s4COPs is excited to have the support from Project K-9 Hero, K9 Flash, American Humane, and many others. The American Hero Dog will win an additional $5,000 for their charity partner.

Don’t forget to vote for K9 Flash! http://herodogawards.org/dog/k-9-flash/

 

Nominate A Deserving Dog For An AKC Humane Fund Award For Canine Excellence

K9s4COPs wants you to nominate your K9 for the AKC Humane Fund Award for Canine Excellence. Click the link below to read about the award and for the application to nominate your K9.

LINK: https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/news/events/nominate-a-dog-akc-canine-excellence/

APPLICATION: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSejnADkQrPAVrbg6NOpU1HvOVlPmlHWFpE0S5UNs2QBEJGObw/viewform

Nominations will be accepted through July 31, 2018. 

Don’t forget to submit a photo to communications@akc.org after completing the application.

Please let me know if you have any questions and I would be happy to help (kortney@k9s4cops.org).

Thanks!
K9s4COPs

Hero Dog Awards
HELP US WIN $7,500!

We have some PAW-SOME news! Two K9 semifinalists in the American Humane Hero Dog Awards have chosen K9s4COPs to be their charity partner.

You can vote for K9 Odin and K9 Flash each day through July 11, 2018 to help us win up to $7,500!

VOTE FOR K9 ODIN: http://bit.ly/k9odin
VOTE FOR K9 FLASH: http://bit.ly/k9flash

K9 Odin
Howdy! My name is Deputy Andrew Blauser and I work for the Waller County Sheriff’s Office in Texas. I would like to tell you about my partner K9 Odin. Odin is a 4 year old German Shepherd.I received K9 Odin on a grant from the organization K9s4COPs in April of 2017. We completed our lengthy academy in August of 2017. What I would like to share with you occurred on Thanksgiving Night of 2017. I am sitting at home with my 9 months pregnant wife and my family enjoying their company on Thanksgiving at our home in Katy, Texas. I see the horrible news that a Texas State Trooper named Damon Allen had been shot and killed along I45 while working holiday traffic. The person who did this fled the scene in an unknown direction. Hours pass, suddenly I get a call from a coworker who tells me to come to work that they had found Trooper Allen’s suspected murderer and he had again attempted to take a Deputies life and fled into a wooded area. I quickly got ready, kissed my family goodbye, loaded up Odin and rushed to the scene. While I cannot discuss specifically what occured at this time, the decision was made that because of the murder suspects actions, Odin would be utilized to capture the murder suspect. Odin performed perfectly and bravely captured the murderer suspect so that no other Police Officers would be hurt that day, myself included. In fact the next day my son was born. Odin made sure I survived to see my son born. K9 Odin is my Hero Dog and my best friend.

K9 Flash
K-9 Flash was found in an animal shelter when she was only 9 months old. She was picked up on the streets of Everett, WA, with no home, no name, and no family. We were starting a Narcotics K-9 course at the Washington State Patrol Academy in Sept of 2005, when we were evaluating dogs in shelters who possess a good hunt, air scent, retrieve, and prey drive. Flash excelled in all of those areas, so we took a chance on her and included her in the class just one day before she was to be euthanized. Once she had her chance, Flash excelled in Narcotics detection and graduated as the only dog to score 100% on her certification. She was assigned as the first Narcotics K-9 on Patrol at the Yakima Police Dept. while assisting to two DEA Narcotics Task Force Teams, Regional SWAT Team, and the Patrol Division, K-9 Flash had over 3000 deployments in her career with over 2200 Narcotic related finds and seizures. When Flash retired in 2013, she was just getting started. Because of her fortitude of surviving and her will to be so successful, she inspired her handler to start a national nonprofit to take care of retired K-9 Heroes like her with medical assistance, food, and end of duty services. Most people don’t know that when K-9 Heroes like Flash retire they lose all funding from the agencies they served. Therefore in 2016, K-9 Flash was the sole inspiration for the start of Project K-9 Hero, she now has her own children’s book (K9 Flash Becomes a Hero!) and travels the nation reading it at schools inspiring children
Please vote for these PAW-SOME K9s every day until July 11, 2018!

VOTE FOR K9 ODIN: http://bit.ly/k9odin
VOTE FOR K9 FLASH: http://bit.ly/k9flash
SHOP OUR NEW SWAG!

We just got in these adorable K9s4COPs PopSockets! Even our mini K9 wants one!

SHOP
-Blue PopSocket ($10): http://bit.ly/k9spopsocket
-Plush K9 ($10): http://bit.ly/plushk9

Kristi Schiller named “Harvey’s Hero”

K9s4COPs Founder, Kristi Schiller, receives the honor of being named a “Harvey’s Hero” on Thursday’s episode of the ‘Steve Harvey Show’. Little did Schiller know, there were nine K9 teams from across the country that were coming to surprise her and thank her for starting the organization that enabled them to get their K9 partner.

Between the tears, barking and laughter, Schiller explains her inspiration for K9s4COPs (Spoiler alert: He surprises her, too.) how K9s4COPs has grown, the impact they have had in your communities, and how you can help out!

Check out www.SteveHarveyTV.com/watch to find channel availability and air time in your area.

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Steve Harvey Show, NBC Studios, Chicago, IL
(Left to Right) Officer Matt Krembs & K9 Aron (Everest Metro Police Department– Schofield, WI) Deputy Ted Dahlin (Harris County Constable’s Office PCT 4– Houston, TX), K9s4COPs Founder Kristi Schiller, Steve Harvey