Northland K9 Teams showcase skills at 12th annual Operation K9 event
SUPERIOR, Wis. (KQDS-TV) — The Northland K9 Foundation has been bringing police K9 teams and the community closer together at Operation K9 for the last 12 years. This year, 17 handlers from across the Northland showcased their teamwork with their furry beat partners.
“Work’s always exciting, especially when you’re on patrol, but now that I have a K-9 in my squad car, it’s super fun,” said Shane McKee, a K9 handler with the Duluth Police Department. “We got single-purpose dogs, bomb dogs, electronic dogs, drug dogs. So this is just kind of an opportunity to show the community the dogs that work in their community every day.”
Officer McKee has worked with K9 Fitz for a little over a year now. He said his job feels more rewarding after Fitz has joined his side.
“He’s a dual-purpose dog. So, some of the things he specializes in are criminal apprehension, tracking, narcotics detection, evidence searches, and then, of course, he’s just obedience, which is something that we practice every day all the time,” said McKee. “One of my favorite parts and one of my favorite things as a K-9 handler is seeing him get better. And that’s every day, just little by little.”
The Northland K9 Foundation is a nonprofit that helps sponsor the training and purchasing of police K9s. They have purchased police K9’s for 8 agencies like Duluth, Superior, Hermantown, Hibbing, Virginia, Eveleth, St. Louis County, and Douglas County.
“We’re able to provide $20,000 per dog for an agency when they when they need one,” said Dana Kazel, a board member with the Northland K9 Foundation. “As all of these government entities are trying to tighten budgets, it’s a wonderful help to be able to, you know, ensure that their canine programs remain strong and continue.”