RALEIGH, NC — AKC Reunite, the largest non-profit pet identification and recovery service provider in the United States, is pleased to announce that nominations are now open for their 2023 Adopt A K-9 Cop Matching Grant program.
For the past several years, the program has allowed AKC Reunite to match funds from AKC Clubs, three-to-one, up to $7,500 per grant to purchase K-9 police dogs to donate to police departments throughout the United States.
In 2022, the program reached over 300 grants. To be considered for a grant, applicants must be a qualified police department and work with an American Kennel Club member or licensed club to raise funds for the K-9.
“This grant program has had a huge impact on hundreds of communities across the country,” said AKC Reunite President Tom Sharp. “We are honored to be able to continue that with even more grants in 2023.”
“As we enter our tenth year of this program, we vow to continue our commitment supporting first responders and their communities with this valuable resource,” said Chris Sweetwood, AKC Board member and founder of the AKC Reunite Adopt a K-9 Cop Matching Grant program “Many law enforcement agencies simply would not have a K-9 unit without AKC Reunite.”
Founded in 2013, the AKC Reunite Adopt a K-9 Cop Matching Grant program was established to partner with AKC clubs and assist police departments in acquiring K-9 police dogs. Many law enforcement agencies do not have funds in their budget to obtain police K-9s, as they are considered a specialty unit. The donations allow the police departments to obtain a new K-9 for help with search and rescue, bomb detection, and overall public safety.
To download a grant application and 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/.
