Project K-9 Hero Donates K-9 Jodi to Lapeer School District

to Help Protect Students Throughout the Community

LEFT: Jason Johnson presents the $12,000 donation check to Lapeer Community Schools in July 2025. Also pictured: Matt Wandrie, Superintendent of Lapeer Community Schools; Deputy Curt June, K-9 Jodi’s Handler; and Summer Putnam, Lapeer School Board President RIGHT:  K-9 Jodi visiting Project K-9 Hero HQ in Whitwell, TN.

Lapeer, MI - In the wake of tragic events like the Oxford High School shooting in Michigan, where lives were lost and communities were forever changed, school safety has become an urgent priority. In November of 2021, four students were killed and seven others were injured by another student in a shooting at the Oxford High School in Oxford, Michigan, just a few miles away from Lapeer. Signs of the imminent shooting went unrecognized, and an independent investigation determined that the school did not carry out a required threat assessment prior to the incident, exposing systemic shortcomings in identifying and addressing potential risks.

Recognizing the need for more proactive measures to protect students and staff, Project K-9 Hero has donated $12,000 to the Lapeer School District for the purchase and training of K-9 Jodi, a highly trained Police K-9 dedicated to school safety.

Lapeer County Deputy Curt June, K-9 Jodi’s assigned Handler, is a full-time school resource officer who will be responding to all schools in the district as well as other nearby law enforcement agencies that may request Jodi’s assistance. K-9 Jodi will help detect and deter firearms at schools and community events, such as football games. As a passive tracking dog, she will also assist in locating missing persons, including children, the elderly, and people with special needs, extending the benefits of her work to the community at large.

Deputy Curt June expressed gratitude for the donation:

“I would like to thank Project K-9 Hero for the donation of K-9 Jodi to Lapeer School District. With her joining us, we are offering another level of security to the school district. In just a couple days with us she has already brought smiles to many of the students.”

Lapeer County Sheriff Scott McKenna added:

“The Lapeer County Sheriff’s Office is so appreciative to Jason and Project K-9 Hero for their gracious donation to Lapeer Schools. K-9 Jodi will be a huge benefit to the school district and the safety that we all strive for daily. Jodi will also serve our kids as a comfort and only improve the daily environment that these students live in.”

Lapeer Community Schools Superintendent Matt Wandrie said: 

“In today’s evolving world, ensuring the safety and security of our schools remains a top priority at Lapeer Community Schools. We’re always looking for innovative ways to enhance our efforts, and welcoming Jodi, our new weapon-detection dog, is an exciting and meaningful step forward. Her presence will help create an even safer environment for our students, staff, and community — something we deeply value. We’re especially grateful to Jason, a proud LCS alumnus from the Class of 1993, whose generosity and commitment to giving back continue to make a lasting impact. Thanks to his support and that of his foundation, Jodi will be a tremendous asset to our district and the entire Lapeer community. We’re thrilled to have her on board and look forward to the positive difference she will make every day.”

K-9 Jodi is named for Jason Johnson’s late sister Jodi Johnson, who was a student of Lapeer Community Schools. She was a smart and outgoing woman who excelled in athletics, academics, music, and community involvement. Jodi was also a lifelong animal lover and an outspoken supporter of Project K-9 Hero. Each year, Project K-9 Hero awards scholarships in her honor to outstanding students, with a preference for applicants from Lapeer Community Schools. Jason Johnson saw this naming as a meaningful way to pay tribute to his sister while making a positive impact on the community she cared so deeply about.

Jason Johnson, Founder and CEO of Project K-9 Hero, commented:

 “As a 1993 graduate of Lapeer West, and a 2018 inductee to the Lapeer Community Schools Distinguished Alumni Hall of Honor, it is absolutely my distinct privilege to be able to give back to the safety and security of the town that raised me and my siblings in such a manner. When I founded Project K-9 Hero almost a decade ago, my late sister Jodi Johnson was by far our biggest supporter and advocate. Now that Project K-9 Hero has become one of the largest nonprofits in the world for Police K-9s and Military Working Dogs, being in a position to place a firearms detection and passive tracking canine in the same schools we attended, and to protect and serve the community we grew up in, means the world to Jodi Johnson’s family and everyone who knew and loved her.”

K-9 Jodi will serve as both a protective presence and a source of comfort for students, helping create a safer and more positive learning environment. Through donations like this, Project K-9 Hero continues its mission to protect those who protected us, safeguarding communities while honoring the service of Police K-9s and Military Working Dogs across Michigan and the country. 

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About Project K-9 Hero: Project K-9 Hero is a nonprofit organization dedicated to covering the costs of medical care, prescription food, end-of-duty, rehabilitation, and rehoming services to our nation’s retired Police K-9s and Military Working Dogs. Learn more about Project K-9 Hero at www.projectk9hero.org