HOW WE HELP
K-9 PURCHASE & TRAINING
The Acacia Foundation promotes awareness and raises funds to help with the purchase and training of Law Enforcement K9s for the Wood County Sheriff’s Department. Law enforcement K9s are an elite group of dogs who have been trained to perform complex tasks to help keep people and communities safe. K9 teams can perform tasks and go places that human officers cannot. K9 teams are used not only for patrol and apprehension but also in situations where time and speed are of the essence, such as searching for missing children and those suffering from memory or cognitive related illnesses. Additionally, K9 teams are community ambassadors and through K9 presentations and demonstrations the Wood County Sheriff’s Department can build relationships from an early age with many local children, and with community organizations, businesses, and individuals.
Law Enforcement K9s are widely utilized across the United State for their many unique and irreplaceable talents. A K9 can search an area 50 times faster than a human and can smell nearly 100,000 times better. The most common breeds for detection, tracking and patrol are German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois, but several other breeds, such as Labradors and Pointers have unique talents as well.
Law Enforcement K9s typically serve in the force for 6 to 9 years. It is extremely important to have the funds available to rotationally replace the K9 units at the end of their tenure in the Department to retain the highest level of public safety possible for our community.
The Wood County Sheriff’s Department has been fortunate to find an incredible K9 training partner within the state. K9 Handlers work with the training facility on sourcing and selecting the K9s, preliminary training and on-going training for both the K9 and the handler. This allows for less time away from family and work for the K9 teams and for reduced travel expenses for the Department.
K-9 MEDICAL
Police K9s are incredible animals that take on so many tasks that humans just can’t do. They have the ability to detect explosive devices, narcotics, weapons, track fugitives and locate missing persons. These tasks often put the dogs in dangerous and potentially life threatening situations. In fact, the police K9s typically face a greater risk than their human counterparts since they are often sent in ahead to investigate dangerous situations.
The Acacia Foundation is committed to assisting the Wood County Sheriff’s Department with the ever-increasing medical care costs for their K9 teams. The Sheriff’s Department does not have a substantial budget for serious K9 medical issues, and it is our goal to provide emergency financial assistance when needed to keep the K9s healthy on the job to 1) allow the K9 teams to continue to protect and serve our community and 2) reduce long term costs to the Department.
K-9 GEAR
Ballistic Vests
These vests are made from the same ballistic material as human officers’ vests but have been specifically developed to protect the...
vital organs for military and law enforcement K9s. Our goal as a Foundation is to provide these essential vests for each of the Wood County Sheriff’s Department K9s that don’t receive a vest from other charitable organizations such as Wisconsin Vest-A-Dog. K9s are often required to perform potentially dangerous tasks in the line of duty. Wearing a bulletproof vest can protect the K9s from gunshots, explosives, stab wounds, and many blunt force trauma incidents including getting kicked or hit with heavy objects.
In 2020 alone, more than 20 K9 officers lost their lives in the line of duty in the United States. Equipping our K9s with vests can potentially make a difference in saving their lives.
K-9 Kennels
Squad Car Kennel inserts provide a safe, comfortable environment within a variety of law enforcement vehicles. Vehicle inserts ensure...
the efficiency and safety of K9s and their handlers.
Additionally, all Wood County Sheriff’s Department K9s need suitable shelter while at their partner’s home. The Acacia Foundation utilizes donated funds to provide the best possible kennel solutions for the K9 officers to keep them secure, healthy, and protected while off-duty.
K-9 First Aid Kits
K9 teams face risk on a daily basis and the K9s are exposed to many different situations and environments. First aid kits allow handlers...
to provide critical treatment to their injured partners when veterinary care may not be immediately available.
Time is usually of the essence with life threatening injuries and having first aid supplies available and on hand can be critical to saving the K9s life.
Some of the primary equipment in the first aid kits include specialized breathing apparatus formed to fit any dog’s muzzle, burn sheets and bandages, cleansing agents, protective restraints and other contents to treat bloat, heat stroke and toxic ingestion.
Heat Sensors
While Handlers dutifully protect and serve their K9 partners, accidents, emergencies and system problems can create...
life-threatening situations for the K9s.
Heat sensors monitor temperatures inside a vehicle and alert law enforcement officers through audio and visual alarms when conditions become unsafe. Additionally, these systems can automatically open the vehicle windows providing fresh, cooler air for K9s in an emergency situation.
RETIRED K-9 CARE
After their active service in the Wood Country Sheriff’s Department, the majority of the K9 officers stay with their partners for the remainder of their lives. The ongoing medical care for the retired K9s can be very expensive. Usually, the most expensive years of pet dog care occur in the animal's last years. Veterinarian visits, medicines, special foods, surgeries, joint problems, and perpetual care for any on-the-job injuries can become an expensive burden on any family. The Acacia Foundation aims to help aid with these costs to ensure the retired K9s continue to receive the quality of care they deserve while in retirement.