WELCOME K-9 PISTOL

Program Member #370

Please welcome retired K-9 “Pistol” to the Project K-9 Hero Pack as our 370th Program Member!

K-9 Pistol is a nine-year-old female Belgian Malinois who honorably served with the US Border Patrol for seven years, from 2017 - 2024. K-9 Pistol is a Narcotics Detection Dog that started her career in Rochester, NY, and completed that last few years of her service in Detroit, MI.

During her career, Pistol alerted to, located, and seized over five million dollars of illegal narcotics attempting to enter our borders, along with illegal firearms, and over six figures in currency. Pistol specialized in searching parcels, packages, and containers attempting to enter the United States.

WELCOME K-9 CLAUDETTE

Program Member #371

Please take a moment to welcome K-9 Claudette into Project K-9 Hero as the 371st Program Member of our Pack!

K-9 Claudette honorably served for six years, from 2019-2025, as an Explosives Detection Canine (EDC) under the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Search Enhanced Evidence K-9 (S.E.E.K.) program.

K-9 Claudette served as one of only 40 Search Enhanced Evidence K-9s nationwide, and her primary area of responsibility covered 51 counties in the State of Texas. However, throughout her career she was deployed nationwide for Investigative Operations and Special Events from coast to coast.

WELCOME MWD POCOK (C440)

Program Member #372

Please take a moment to welcome retired United States Air Force, Military Working Dog “Pocok” (C440), as the 372nd member to our Project K-9 Hero Pack!

MWD Pocok honorably served with the 341st Training Squadron at Lackland Air Force Base, from May of 2020 until July of 2023. A severe back injury while conducting apprehension work led Pocok to an early medical retirement and the need to be adopted.

Pocok was extremely lucky to be adopted by Dr. Shirley Meredith (who previously had adopted MWD Uumbro, PK9H #144) and had been living a wonderful life with her in Kentucky, until Shirley reached out to our organization on Monday 1/12 with an emergency medical situation with symptoms that required an immediate visit to MedVet Cincinnati.

WELCOME K-9 JANGO

Program Member #373

Please take a moment to honor K-9 “Jango” as our 373rd Program Member.

K-9 Jango was a 3-year-old male Belgian Malinois who honorably served with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office for 1.5 years as a Patrol K-9, until an on-duty incident in November of 2025 left him paralyzed and unable to breathe on his own.

During his short but productive career, K-9 Jango was deployed twenty times, and was responsible for eleven criminal finds, as well as one physical bite apprehension. K-9 Jango worked with Spokane County’s SWAT Team, where he specialized in High-Risk Tactical Operations, Search Warrants, Building Searches, Rappelling, plus Helicopter Operations and Hoisting.

Jango lost his fight with his injuries on January 28th.

K-9 Rip

Program Member #161

It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share in the passing of Project K-9 Hero Program Member #161, K-9 Rip.

Please take a moment to read this passage from Amanda Bolyard, who did an amazing job caring for him during his four years of retirement from the ATF Special Response Team Three:

“Losing you hurts more than I ever imagined. I was fortunate enough to receive Retired K9 Rip, Project K-9 Hero member #161, the day he retired and we were blessed with just over four years together. Before coming home to me, Rip honorably served as part of ATF SRT Team 3, completing more than 300 high-risk missions nationwide alongside his handler. I am deeply grateful to his handler for trusting me with Rip and allowing me the opportunity to care for him in his retirement. I was the lucky one who got to serve him—an honor I will never take lightly.

He became my sidekick, my constant presence, and I can’t imagine my life without having had the opportunity to love him for those years and beyond. Our bond was unique and different. It took time for us to truly find our way together, but once we did, he was my loyal friend through and through.

I love you, Rippy. I hope to see that wagging tail again one day.  Run free my friend.”

June 2nd, 2010 - January 3rd, 2026

K-9 Klara

Program Member #131

It is with an extremely heavy heart that we at Project K-9 Hero share in the passing of Program Member #131, K-9 Klara. Klara came to our Rehabilitation & Rehoming Facility on June 1st, 2021, and has been in our program as an Ambassador for last 4 1/2 years.

She spent the first two of those years living here at our facility with Marine Corps and Law Enforcement Veteran, John Guthrie, who was our VP of Operations at the time. Once John took a position to work globally and moved closer to Nashville, Klara stayed with him for the next several years. Klara was 13 1/2 years old, and was loved very much by everyone that knew her! Please keep John and his family in your thoughts as they mourn the loss of their Hero.

After serving for six years with the Wilson Police Department, and the Carter County Sheriff’s Office, in Oklahoma, as a Dual-Purpose Patrol/Narcotics Detection K-9, at no fault of her own, Klara needed a new home.

Due to family and financial changes in the life of her Handler, Klara was unable to receive the time, attention, or care that she deserved in retirement. Knowing that Klara had a big heart and loved being around people, he contacted our organization and asked for assistance through our Project K-9 Hero Rehabilitation & Rehoming Facility.

Thank you for your service to your community and the State of Oklahoma, Klara. We will ensure that you are Never Forgotten!

June 11th, 2012 - January 7th, 2026

K-9 Jango

Program Member #373

It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share in the passing of Project K-9 Hero Program Member #373, K-9 “Jango.”

K-9 Jango, was a 3-year-old male Belgian Malinois who honorably served with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office for 1.5 years as a Patrol K-9, until an on-duty incident in November of 2025 left him paralyzed and unable to breathe on his own.

During his short but productive career, K-9 Jango was deployed twenty times, and was responsible for eleven criminal finds, as well as one physical bite apprehension. K-9 Jango worked with Spokane County’s SWAT Team, where he specialized in High-Risk Tactical Operations, Search Warrants, Building Searches, Rappelling, plus Helicopter Operations and Hoisting.

On the night of his career ending injury, Jango ran thru a commercial grade double pane glass window in the dark, which left him unconscious and unable to breathe. The handler performed CPR on the scene, and all the way to the ER, in an attempt to save his partner’s life. Once they arrived, and they were able to get Jango stable, the ER Veterinary Staff immediately got him intubated, where a tube was placed in his trachea (windpipe) to maintain an open airway for delivering the oxygen he needed to survive.

PK9H was able to step up and pay the approximately $150 a day for the rehabilitation process while Jango fought for his life. That included the supplies needed, tubing, physical therapy, and 24 hour veterinary care from his doctor.

Please take a moment to mourn in the loss of K-9 Jango. We were honored to be protecting him, after all that he had been through fighting for his life, after protecting our communities and nation.

July 6th, 2022- January 28th, 2026