K9s United

K9s United is dedicated to providing the necessary equipment & training K9 law enforcement officers need in order to protect communities across the country.
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When Baron was asphyxiated on October 7th, 2014 in a St. Johns County, FL swamp, the Sheriff’s Office canine deputy’s death moved Debbie Johnson to tears. Now she’s been moved to do more. She’s helping Baron’s partners through her new nonprofit, K-9s United. Johnson took Civilian Law Enforcement Academy classes to learn about the department and its budget needs. She also met Baron’s handler, Deput

y Farrah Ashe.

“We think it is outstanding that someone would take such an interest and be captivated by a tragedy that we suffered as an agency,” Kelshaw said. “That she also went to our academy and got an inside look at what we do as an agency and is willing to help us is outstanding.”

The result is K-9s United, which is raising money for Baron’s division first, then later for canine corps in other Northeast Florida police agencies that need equipment, veterinary services, training and computer programs that budgets don’t cover.

“The canine handlers and these dogs are so awesome at what they do that I want to create awareness about how brave they are every day that they go out, and the bond they have,” she said. Johnson’s efforts are appreciated by the Sheriff’s Office, which will present her with a list of unbudgeted needs such as food or bulletproof dog vests that she can purchase when funds are raised, Sheriff’s Office spokesman Kevin Kelshaw said. Johnson says she eventually wants to help K-9s statewide and then eventually take it nationwide.

09/05/2026

You probably haven’t been to a gala like this before. 🎲🐾

The K9 Royale Gala is an unforgettable formal-attire evening of casino-style gaming, live and silent auctions, martinis, K9 demonstrations... and a few four-legged VIPs who just might steal the show.

Join us October 10 at Deerwood Country Club in Jacksonville for a night of elegance, excitement and meaningful impact.

Because the K9s who protect our communities deserve more than a thank-you. They deserve our support.

RSVP: K9 Royale Gala: An Evening of High Stakes for K9 Heroes
🎟️ Get your tickets: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/k9royalegala/event/k9royalegala2026/

09/03/2026

On National Police K9 Day, we ran to honor the 23 K9s who gave their lives in the line of duty last year.

We’re deeply grateful to every one of you who stood with them.

Thank you to those who joined us at RiversEdge Park in Jacksonville, FL, and to those who ran, rucked, and walked in their own towns and cities across the country.

Because of you, their names, stories and sacrifice don’t just stay alive…they fuel our fight.

09/02/2026

Today is a very special day at K9s United. 💙🐾

Please help us wish our founder, Debbie Johnson, a very happy birthday!

Debbie didn’t come from law enforcement. But she had a deep love for dogs, tremendous respect for those who protect and serve and a belief that our nation’s working K9s deserved the very best.

In 2014, the heartbreaking loss of K9 Baron changed everything.

Attending Baron’s funeral lit a fire in Debbie, one that became a commitment to stand behind law enforcement K9 teams and ensure their courage, service and sacrifice would never go unseen or unsupported.

That commitment became K9s United.

Since then, Debbie has poured her heart into helping K9 teams across the country through training, equipment, advocacy and support, while making sure our fallen K9 heroes are honored and remembered for their service.

If you know Debbie, you know this mission isn’t simply something she supports. It’s part of who she is.

She shows up. She fights for stronger protections. She stands beside handlers and agencies. And she never stops advocating for the K9s who put everything on the line to protect our communities.

So today, we’d love to give a little of that love back to her. 💙

If Debbie has touched your life, your agency, or the life of a K9 you love, leave her a birthday message in the comments and help us celebrate the woman who started it all.

Happy Birthday, Debbie! From all of us in the K9s United family, thank you for turning your love into a mission and your mission into an impact felt by K9 teams across the country. 🐾💙

09/01/2026

National Police K9 Day means something different when you live and breathe this work. You’ve seen the tracks through the woods, the missing kids brought home, the guns and dope pulled out of cars, and the way these dogs quietly carry the weight of the badge alongside their handlers.

That kind of service deserves more than one day of appreciation. It deserves protection, support, and real change.

For years, K9s United has been in that fight on multiple fronts: helping pass emergency care and felony protection laws in places like Florida and Alabama, working with leaders in states like Georgia and North Carolina on K9 emergency treatment and transport, and pushing training, equipment, and safeguards like heat alarms and vests into agencies that otherwise couldn’t afford them.

At the same time, we’ve stood on Capitol Hill to help introduce the LEO K9 Protection Act, a federal bill that would increase penalties for using deadly weapons against law enforcement K9s and extend protections when local teams assist federal agencies. All of this is about one thing: treating these dogs like the partners they are, in practice and in law.

Today, on National Police K9 Day, we’re asking you to stand in that gap with us.

Call or email your members of Congress and ask them to support the LEO K9 Protection Act. Talk to your state and local leaders about K9 emergency treatment and transport laws where you live. Share the stories of the dogs and handlers who matter to you, and help more people understand why this fight is worth it.

Every voice added to this conversation moves it forward.

And to everyone running or walking in the Fallen K9 Memorial Run, showing up at events, donating, sharing posts, or simply speaking a K9’s name out loud today: we are truly grateful for you.

You’re helping make sure these K9s are honored, not just in our memories, but in the protections they carry with them into every shift. Thank you.

08/31/2026

Tomorrow, September 1, is National Police K9 Day. And it’s our Fallen K9 Memorial Run, honoring the 23 K9s we lost last year and supporting those still holding the line.

Here’s how it works:
Run your 1 mile, 5K, or 9K wherever you are, whenever you can, and tag us so we can see it.

Or, if you’re local to Northeast Florida, meet us at RiversEdge Park in downtown Jacksonville at 6pm to run together.

2010 Prudential Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32207

Every mile is for them.

Registration is still open. Join us: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2026-fallen-k9-memorial-virtual-run-tickets-952313243547?aff=FacebookEvent

08/29/2026

We’re asking you to do one thing: pause with us.

Every K9 in this video stood between danger and the people they swore to protect, and some never made it home.

On September 1, National Police K9 Day, join us in remembering the K9s we lost in 2025 and the love and loyalty they left behind:

National Police K9 Day: Fallen K9 Memorial Run
K9 Azi
McKinney Police Department, Texas
End of Watch: 2025-03-13

K9 Kyro
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, Florida
End of Watch: 2025-10-14

K9 Kai
Bristol Police Department, Tennessee
End of Watch: 2025-04-24

K9 Jericho
Wheeling Police Department, West Virginia
End of Watch: 2025-09-22

K9 Diesel
Chattanooga Police Department, Tennessee
End of Watch: 2025-09-17

K9 Archer
Hawai’i County Police Department, Hawaii
End of Watch: 2025-09-04

K9 Oya
North County Police Cooperative, Missouri
End of Watch: 2025-07-30

K9 Karma
Isanti County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota
End of Watch: 2025-08-08

K9 Kaya
Streetsboro Police Department, Ohio
End of Watch: 2025-01-07

K9 Chico
Boerne Police Department, Texas
End of Watch: 2025-04-10

K9 Scout
Suffolk Police Department, Virginia
End of Watch: 2025-05-27

K9 Spike
Burbank Police Department, California
End of Watch: 2025-11-22

K9 Blitz
Wadesboro Police Department, North Carolina
End of Watch: 2025-04-02

K9 Raven
Tucson Police Department, Arizona
End of Watch: 2025-07-05

K9 Cooper
Muskingum County Sheriff’s Department, Ohio
End of Watch: 2025-09-05

K9 Knox
Roanoke City Police Department, Virginia
End of Watch: 2025-04-18

K9 Macho
Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana
End of Watch: 2025-01-15

K9 Preacher
Maine State Police, Maine
End of Watch: 2025-02-04

K9 Georgia
Dade County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia
End of Watch: 2025-07-13

K9 Sam
Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, South Carolina
End of Watch: 2025-07-08

K9 Roxi
Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, Florida
End of Watch: 2025-02-01

K9 Rebel
Albuquerque Police Department, New Mexico
End of Watch: 2025-05-29

K9 Sissy
Georgia Department of Corrections, Georgia
End of Watch: 2025-09-29

Sign up here: eventbrite.com/e/2026-fallen-k9-memorial-virtual-run-tickets…?aff=FacebookEvent

08/27/2026

Our communities are safer because brave K9s showed up, again and again, without hesitation. This post is for every K9 who made the ultimate sacrifice and for the handlers and families who loved them.

If you stand with the K9s who died protecting us, join us on September 1, National Police K9 Day, for the National Police K9 Day: Fallen K9 Memorial Run.

Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2026-fallen-k9-memorial-virtual-run-tickets-952313243547?aff=FacebookEvent

08/25/2026

This National Police K9 Day, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office will be out in force for the North Florida Fallen K9 Memorial Run, standing up for the dogs who protected this city and the ones still working its streets.

From demos and community events to training days and fundraisers, their K9 teams have been in our corner for years, helping us put better equipment, training, and support into the hands of handlers across North Florida.

They show up with their K9s, their handlers, and their families, taking time out of long shifts and busy schedules to honor the dogs we’ve lost and support the ones still on duty.

Every registration for the North Florida Fallen K9 Memorial Run is one more voice alongside JSO K9 teams saying, “We remember your dogs, and we’ve got your backs.”

RSVP: National Police K9 Day: Fallen K9 Memorial Run
Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2026-fallen-k9-memorial-virtual-run-tickets-952313243547?aff=FacebookEvent

08/22/2026

K9 Ghost proudly representing the K9s United license plate, because he knows what it means to his community and the K9 teams holding the line beside him. Now that’s one good boy.

Get yours at your local DMV.

Address

PO Box 365
Saint Augustine, FL
32085

Telephone

+19046012220

Website

https://www.k9sunited.org/donate/

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