AKC REUNITE DONATES OVER HALF A MILLION DOLLARS TO POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN 2021

- Grants Matched Through Adopt A K-9 Cop Program -

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Jan 12, 2022, 08:49 ET

RALEIGH, N.C., Jan. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AKC Reunite, the largest non-profit pet microchip identification and recovery service provider in the United States, is pleased to announce $526,500 in donations to K-9 units throughout the country through its AKC Reunite Adopt a K-9 Cop matching grant program in 2021. Funds were raised by contributions from AKC dog clubs and community members, with AKC Reunite matching donations at a three-to-one ratio.

The Adopt a K-9 Cop program allows AKC Reunite to match funds from AKC Clubs, AKC affiliated organizations and the public, three-to-one, up to $7,500 per grant through the Canine Support and Relief fund. These donations help police departments throughout the United States purchase K-9 police dogs. Many of the police dogs acquired with the help of these grants are used as patrol dogs as well as detection dogs, helping to locate narcotics, explosives and/or evidence.

"More than $500,000 has been donated through the Adopt a K-9 Cop matching grant program in 2021 and we hope to grow that number in 2022," said Tom Sharp, AKC Reunite CEO. "The grants donated to K-9 units across the nation helps them acquire new police dogs, contributing to increased safety in their communities."

The most recent grants were donated to the following police departments:

*State*	*Police Department(s)*
California	Humboldt County Sheriff's Office
Colorado	Loveland Police Department (two grants)
Georgia	Jacksonville Police Department
Iowa	Decorah Police Department
Minnesota	Kanabec Police Department St. Cloud Police Department
Mississippi	Hattiesburg Public School District Police Department Jones County Sheriff's Department
North Carolina	Buncombe County Sheriff's Office and Currituck County Sheriff's Office
North Dakota	Jamestown Police Department
Ohio	Jackson Center Police Department
Oklahoma	Locust Grove Police Department McClain County Sheriff's Office Okmulgee County Criminal Justice Authority Roland Police Department Salina Police Department Tulsa Oklahoma Police Department (three grants)
South Carolina	Greenville County Sheriff's Office

Contributing clubs for these donations include the United States Police Canine Association, the Upper Iowa Training Club, Inc., the Greenville Kennel Club and the Lost Coast Kennel Club.

A total of 95 Adopt a K-9 Cop grants have been awarded since the inception of the program. 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/.

AKC Reunite
The way home for lost pets.

AKC Reunite, an affiliate of the American Kennel Club®, is the largest non-profit pet microchip identification and recovery service provider in the United States. Since 1995 AKC Reunite has helped pet owners reunite with their lost animals via identification and 24/7 pet recovery specialists, enrolling over 9 million companion animals and recovering more than 500,000 lost pets. AKC Reunite microchips are a popular choice of pet professionals throughout the country for permanent pet identification.

The AKC Reunite Canine Support and Relief Fund has donated more than $9 million since 2002 for disaster preparedness and relief causes that impact our nation's pets, like the AKC Pet Disaster Relief trailer donation program. AKC Reunite also provides free recovery service enrollment for all active service, military, and law enforcement K-9 dogs. For more information visit www.akcreunite.org or follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/akcreunite).

SOURCE AKC Reunite