Please Welcome K-9 Benny #393
Please welcome K-9 “Benny” to our Project K-9 Hero Pack as our 393rd Program Member. Benny honorably served as an Accelerant Detection K-9 with the Topeka Fire Department, KS from 2018-2023, and with Sedgwick County Fire District 1 in Wichita, KS from 2024, until he recently retired on April 24th, 2026.
Benny assisted with 170 fire investigations, over the course of his eight-year career, between the two agencies in the State of Kansas. Benny was instrumental in several felony and fatality arson investigations that led to arrests and convictions, including being deployed with the ATF National Response Team (NRT) to the Minneapolis, MN riots, as a specialized unit designed to investigate major fires, bombings, and explosions. His evidentiary findings assisted in the prosecution of several high-profile cases. Benny’s career was not just working criminal cases; he also did a great amount of public outreach for community events, schools, and demonstrations.
Since his retirement, Benny has been diagnosed with Iris Cysts in both eyes. He no longer qualifies for free annual eye examinations, and needs to visit a veterinary ophthalmologist frequently to monitor his vision. Regardless of his outstanding service, all of these costs have now become the responsibility of his Handler. It involves a monetary amount that would be a financial burden on any retired first responder.
Due to his ongoing medical needs, we are placing K-9 Benny into our program so we can cover all future office visits, eye exams, medications, diagnostic testing, and surgeries at 100%, for the rest of his life.
Benny is his Handler’s third retired ATF Certified Accelerant Detection Canine. After losing K-9 Boomer in 2012 to Stomach Cancer, and K-9 Webster in 2018 to Cardiomyopathy, we are here to ensure he is able to spend as much time as possible enjoying retirement with K-9 Benny, who doesn’t turn 10 until next January.
Welcome to the pack K-9 Benny! PK9H is here to protect you after all you have done to protect the State of Kansas, surrounding communities, and the United States of America.
