The Minneapolis Police Department’s K-9 Unit has been serving the citizens of Minneapolis and the men and women of the police department since 1966.
The Minneapolis Police Department’s K-9 Unit has been serving the citizens of Minneapolis and the men and women of the police department since 1966. The Unit currently has 13 canine teams. The dogs used by the unit are primarily German Shepherds and are initially trained for suspect detection and apprehension.
Many dogs receive training in narcotics and explosives detection. The selection process for our dogs is rigorous. We receive many calls from citizens who wish to donate dogs for police service but few dogs have the ability to do what the job demands. Purchasing police dogs is costly. All of the dogs live at home with their police partners and their families.
The primary purpose of canines trained for police work is to make the police officer’s job safer. Police dogs serve an important role because they are often used in high-risk situations.
The Minneapolis Police K-9 Foundation is a tax-exempt non-profit corporation created for charitable purposes. Its mission is to provide financial support to the Minneapolis Police Department’s K-9 Unit.
Although the Minneapolis Police K-9 Foundation is entirely independent of the Minneapolis Police Department, the Foundation works in cooperation with the K-9 Unit to identify and provide special needs that are unable to be funded through the regular budget.
The Foundation seeks to offer opportunities through fund raising from the area business’ and community members to support law enforcement by making tax-deductible donations. The Foundation also works as an educational resource for the community helping to explain how the K-9 Unit benefits both the community and police department.
