Money raised to buy door pop and heat alarm system for K9 AJ

The Springfield Regional Chamber is thrilled to announce the success of our community effort to award an equipment grant to the Springfield Police Department for K9 AJ! A door pop and heat alarm system will be provided to the agency at no cost, thanks to an online fundraiser supported by the Springfield community.

We met our goal in less than 24 hours! Way to go Springfield!

The Springfield Regional Chamber is thrilled to announce the success of our community effort to award an equipment grant to the Springfield Police Department for K9 AJ! A door pop and heat alarm system will be provided to the agency at no cost, thanks to an online fundraiser supported by the Springfield community. We met our goal in less than 24 hours! Way to go Springfield!

K9 AJ is a “loving” 2.5-year-old Belgian Malinois certified in patrol, tracking/trailing, and narcotics. He is assigned to Officer Ryan Prince of the Springfield, Vt. Police Department. He loves to play, chase his ball, and have fun with his family. Within his first week on the job, his track of a suspect resulted in a find and arrest, and he continues to excel!

The door pop and heat alarm system, valued at $1,500 and provided by www.AceK9.com, dba Radiotronics, in Stuart, Fla., will be shipped directly to the department through Hero K9’s distributor, Streicher’s, in Minneapolis, proudly serving public safety professionals since 1953. A complimentary BarkBox will also be sent to the department for each K9 receiving equipment related to this grant award, thanks to Bark & Co., in New York, N.Y.

Hero K9 is a national 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to protecting our nation by raising funds to provide the public safety community with K9s, training, and necessary equipment. Equipment grants are available to public safety agencies for their K9 programs. Tax-deductible donations may be made to their general fund or through their equipment sponsor program. To learn more, donate, or request an application, visit www.herok9.org or call 681-4HeroK9 (443-7659).

We’d like to express a huge thank you to everyone who contributed and helped us to spread the word about this wonderful cause. We were blown away by the outpouring of generous donations. We’re thrilled for K9 AJ and Officer Ryan Prince. We are glad to support the hardworking team at the Springfield Police Department and are so proud of the many people working together to make Springfield an even greater place to live, work, and play! Congrats, K9 AJ!

--Written by Caitlin Christiana, Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce