New nonprofit seeks to support Upper Michigan K9 units

MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) - A new nonprofit is hoping to help K9 units in Upper Michigan.

The Upper Peninsula K9 Training Group is now accepting donations to help police dogs and handlers across the U.P. Founder John Waldo says his former police dog, K9 Nitro, was the inspiration for the organization because of his impact on the Marquette community. While Waldo is an officer for the Marquette Police Department, the group is not affiliated with the department or the city.

The group helps police departments acquire equipment, training, and dogs. It also supplies agencies with community outreach support, such as trading cards and plush toys, which Waldo says can bring communities and their police agencies closer.

“That’s what we hope to do, is just to keep serving our communities better and to better equip our K9s and get maybe more K9 units in the Upper Peninsula so that we’re not so few and far between,” said Waldo.

The group’s next project is to help the M.P.D. with new heat alarms which will alert officers if the car’s temperature is too hot for a K9. To find out more, check out the U.P. K9 Training Group Facebook page or K9 Zepp’s Facebook page.