Remembering Sandy Hook

On December 14, 2012, countless parents across the country had to fight the urge to go to their children as soon as the heard the news of the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn. The senseless murder of 26 people—20 precious children and six adults—rocked our nation.

The tragedy was a call to action for many, including myself. I listened to concerned parents debate the gun control versus guns in school paradigm and I read K9s4COPs’ applications requesting trained K9s for campus protection.

Working together to protect our communities through K9s4COPs meant protecting our children too, and the K9s4KIDs initiative was launched with the mission of providing highly-trained K9s to school districts and college campuses free of charge.

Many people think what good is a K9 in a shooting?

The mere presence of a trained K9 and their handler is a deterrent of any untoward activity whether it is physical violence or criminal doings. Statistics prove this over and over again.
If K9s trained in drug detection can keep schools drug-free, what can one trained in munitions detection do? They can keep guns and explosives off school property and away from our children!

You smell like gunpowder? YOU CAN’T COME IN!

And HEAVEN FORBID, a K9 is sent to disengage a shooter … that highly-qualified warrior can buy precious time for the innocent to flee or seek shelter. Even if just one life is saved, a K9 will have done its job.

As we reflect on the tragic event of last December, K9s4KIDs is moving forward, and through K9s4Cops, has already placed three K9s within two school districts.

There is a kinder, gentler alternative to school safety that doesn’t invade privacy and doesn’t force teachers into decisions that no human being should be asked to make and it’s K9s4KIDs.