Get Ready for Aftermath’s 6th Annual K9 Grant Competition

Put your paws in the air and get ready to vote for your local K9! The competition for Aftermath’s 6th Annual K9 Grant begins in just a few days! Voting for this exciting yearly event will run throughout the month of October, and this year we’re encouraging even more people to get involved – from social media to local media outlets, conferences, word-of-mouth, and emails. More than 3,000 law enforcement agencies competed last year, and over 152,000 votes were cast. 2017 promises to be even bigger!

If you haven’t heard the word, every year Aftermath gives away grants to departments around the nation. So whether your local police already have a K9 Unit, or they’re hoping to add one soon, the Aftermath K9 Grant is a great way to support their efforts. Check out the exciting video we made last year, and learn more about the benefits of the Aftermath K9 grant on YouTube. Also be sure and bookmark the official K9 Grant page for up-to-date announcements and voting!

6 Years of K9 Grants

Over the years, Aftermath has contributed tens of thousands of dollars to law enforcement agencies nationwide to help start, maintain and grow their K9 programs. We recognize the important role these specially trained animals serve in their communities; from serving as proud ambassadors to providing invaluable assistance in search and rescue operations, suspect apprehension, and search and seizure, K9 officers help save the lives of civilians and officers every day. With the K9 grant, we are able to showcase the unique contribution made by these dogs, and reward the efforts of law enforcement officers nationwide.

Last year’s winner was Alamagordo Police Department of New Mexico. The 2016 K9 Grant was a very special event for the Alamogordo PD. Shortly before the contest began, Officer Clint Corvinus was killed on duty. Officer Corvinus had been a long-time supporter of K9 Units and was instrumental in starting the process to ensure the small town had access to this incredible resource. With help from local supporters and the Aftermath K9 Grant, the department was finally able to purchase it’s very first K9 Officer. To date, they have grown the K9 unit to include three canines!

Spreading the Love

Due to the overwhelming response and an outpouring of support, Aftermath also awarded several smaller grants in 2016. The winners included Pekin PD and Matteson PD of Illinois, Johnson City Village PD of New York, and Larksville Boro PD of Pennsylvania.

Other past winners of the K9 Grant include Illinois Lake County Sheriff’s K9 Unit, (the famous Dax, Diesel, Duke, and their handlers, are stars of the 2016 K9 Grant video), the Illinois state Kane County Sheriff’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office in New Jersey, and Lower Allen Township Police Department of Pennsylvania. Funds from the grant have been used for the purchase and training of K9s, as well as outfitting them with life-saving equipment and devices such as heat stroke monitors and bullet proof vests.

Create Your Own Happy Tail

To illustrate our community mission while rewarding the dedicated members of law enforcement, anyone can nominate and vote for their local police department. You can also vote every day. Just visit the Aftermath K9 Grant entry page once the grant begins, and fill out the form to register and vote.

Check to see if your department is nominated. If your department isn’t on the list yet, you can add it. Then be sure to stop by and vote every day – check out our rules page for full details and be sure to spread the word to your family and friends! At the end of the voting period, votes will be tallied and the winner will be announced on November 10th.

Click here to view the official rules of this year’s contest, and remember to vote every day starting October 11th!