Molena’s K9 officer, equipment donated

Tosca is a K9 officer who was donated to the Molena Police Department and handler MPD chief Matt Polk by Irondog K9 International. She is a Labrador Retriever mix and an Imprinted Narcotics Detection Dog who came from S.A.K9 Solutions EU in Germany and was trained by Kilo 2 Working Dog Kennels. Irondog K9 also donated an Odor Scent Training Kit and other kits as well as two ball tugs and a leash at a total value of $16,000.

“From the moment Chief Matt Polk and K9 Tosca locked eyes, everyone could feel and see an instant connection being made,” said Charlie Nash, founder of Irondog K9 International. “It was impossible to decide who was happier, Chief Polk or K9 Tosca. We know how important a Narcotics K9 can be to a smaller police department, and we can see that with the generosity of our donors, we have made a good fit!”

MPD chief Polk is currently bonding with Tosca and during the Journal Reporter’s visit last week, he was continuing training her to accurately track down illegal narcotics. He said Tosca will be in regular service in the city once she has a kennel insert for the MPD patrol vehicle.

The Georgia Police K9 Foundation is donating an Ace K9 Heat Alarm System and an American Aluminum Kennel Insert that will keep K9 Tosca safe and secure in her mobile office at an estimated total value of $4,000. It is expected to arrive in the coming weeks.

“Our organization is happy to assist K9 units across the state of Georgia in numerous capacities. The K9 team at the Molena Police Department was in need of a kennel insert and we were more than willing to help them,” said Kyle Briley, president and founder of Georgia Police K9 Foundation. “The kennel insert is a transport area that allows the K9 to be safe while working and serving the citizens of their community. Most kennel inserts take up the back seat area, giving the K9 plenty of room to be comfortable and protect them in many situations. The heat alarm is a temperature monitoring system that is critical to have in case the interior of the vehicle becomes too hot for the K9. If it becomes too hot in the interior of the vehicle, the heat alarm system will alert the handler, automatically roll the window down, and activate a window based fan. These heat alarm systems have saved numerous K9 lives. It is an honor to help protect K9 Tosca and hope she continues to do great things and not have to worry about doing her job in the most secure environment possible. Working together, we really do make a difference.” 

Georgia Police K9 Foundation (GPK9F) is an all volunteer 501(c)3 non-profit, which helps raise awareness in the state and local communities of the contributions made by the Police K9s and how they save lives to make communities safe.

“Our goal is to protect as many of Georgia’s four legged officers by providing them with safety equipment, such as, bullet-proof vests, heat alarm systems and Naloxone (Narcan Kits) in the event a K9 is directly exposed to any opioids during a search and seizure,” said Briley. “Once a K9 has retired, the handler will adopt their K9 partner and best friend. In the absence of state or local retirement benefits for K9s, GPK9F will help provide retirement support (food and medical care) for retired law enforcement K9s, who have unconditionally served their communities for years.”

To date, the Georgia Police K9 Foundation has assisted more than 4,000 Georgia K9s by providing 173 K9 Protection Vests, 103 Heat Alarms, more than 500 training equipment items, seminars and trainings for numerous K9 teams across the state of Georgia and assistance for more than 200 Retired K9s.

“Chances are that everyone’s life has been impacted by a K9 in some manner throughout their life and they do not even realize it. Before attending sporting events, concerts, or large functions, explosive detection K9s sweep the areas to ensure a safer environment for those in attendance,” said Briley. “K9s are important in communities by locating/detecting illegal narcotics, as well as, engaging in the most dangerous settings, while dealing with some of the most violent offenders without hesitation. We ask these four-legged heroes to face situations most people would not. Not only do law enforcement K9s assist by enforcing the laws, but also assist with locating a missing child or elderly person.”

Those who would like to make a tax-deductible donation, can go to GPK9F.org or mail checks to Georgia Police K9 Foundation, 26 Joe Kennedy Blvd, Unit 48, Statesboro, Georgia 30458. Follow Georgia Police K9 Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to see how assisting active and retired law enforcement K9s creates safer communities.