OUR MISSION
The Little Rock Police K-9 Association is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit organization that was formed to assist in the care of retired police service dogs, provide additional training and equipment for police service dogs and their handlers, and furnish death benefits for the police canines. The Little Rock Police K-9 Association also strives to educate and promote the use of police service dogs in the community by performing canine demonstrations for schools, civic and church groups as well as appearing at special events.
When one of our Police Dogs retires, the Handler usually “adopts” the dog. The Handler and their K-9 partner will have worked side-by-side every day, usually for five to seven years, forming a very strong bond. Due to this bond, the Handler makes sure that his/her retired partner has a chance to “just be a dog” and live out his hard-earned “golden years” as comfortable as possible. The Handler is responsible for the healthcare, food and maintenance costs for the rest of the dog’s life. Since these are dedicated working dogs, many times they sustain injuries in the course of their careers protecting the public, other Officers and their human partners. As the dogs age, much like with humans, the medical expenses of the retired dogs can be quite expensive.
The members of the Little Rock Police K-9 Association recognize that maintaining a Police K-9 Unit is an expensive endeavor and unfortunately, due to restrictive budgets, the Cities involved are not financially able to cover many of these costs. It is our goal to honor the life-long service that these dogs give, with a merely a pat on the head and a scratch behind the ear as their only rewards, by raising funds to support them in retirement as well as at the time of their death.
While not officially associated with the Little Rock Police Department or the City of Little Rock, the Little Rock Police K-9 Association strives to reflect a positive image of both. We would like to thank Chief Stuart Thomas for his support.