By May Hunter, For Iron County Today
The Friends of Iron County Police K9 Fundraiser was held on May 30, 2026, at the home of Ree Zaphiropoulos. Ree has long been a dedicated supporter of the K9 program, volunteering countless hours of service to our community. We sincerely appreciate her generosity in hosting this successful fundraising event.
Members of the Cedar City Police Department and Iron County Sheriff’s Office provided impressive demonstrations showcasing the many ways K9 teams serve and protect our community.
Corporal Jason Hottell and K9 Snitch, a 6-year-old German Shepherd, demonstrated a helicopter deployment exercise. Detective Mary Menke and K9 Devi, a 22-month-old Belgian Shepherd, conducted a bomb detection demonstration. Officer Waldo Fuentes and K9 Thunder, a 2-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer, and Corporal Jared O’Neal with K9 Dano, a 4-year-old German Shepherd, also participated in the demonstrations.
The vehicle drug detection demonstration featured Deputy Michael Mecham and K9 Nala, a 2½-year-old German Shepherd, along with Officer Daniel Bowler and K9 Bandit, a 17-month-old Belgian Malinois. Deputy Tristen Roman and K9 Reacher, a 21-month-old Dutch Shepherd, demonstrated obedience and officer protection skills. The vehicle extraction and explosives breach demonstration was conducted by Corporal Jared O’Mealy and K9 Tonka, a 5½-year-old Belgian Shepherd.
The law enforcement agencies represented at the event included the Iron County Sheriff’s Office, Cedar City Police Department, Southern Utah University Police Department, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and Iron/Metro SWAT.
A special moment during the event was the recognition of honored guest Brooklyn Shorter, who was presented with financial assistance to help with medical expenses, as well as a Green River fishing float trip for her and her family.
Friends of Iron County Police K9 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization originally established to assist retired police K9s and their handlers. Many handlers choose to keep their canine partners after retirement, but ongoing expenses such as veterinary care, food, and other necessities can become costly. The organization helps ease that burden by covering food, medical expenses, and other essential needs so handlers can continue providing excellent care for their retired partners.
Because law enforcement agencies often face budget constraints, they are not always able to provide every training opportunity or piece of safety equipment needed by their canine teams. Agencies may submit requests to the organization, and the board carefully evaluates each one. When approved, the organization often partners with the requesting agency to help fund the needed equipment or training.
In addition to supporting equipment purchases, the organization helps provide training opportunities for handlers and is currently assisting in the development of a local K9 training facility.
The organization also sponsored the creation of a Police K9 Memorial at the Cedar City Cemetery. This memorial honors the service and sacrifice of all police K9s that have served in Iron County.
These dogs are more than our best friends, they embody courage, loyalty, dedication, and the heart of a true warrior.
The board consists of active and retired law enforcement personnel, K9 handlers representing local agencies, and community members who deeply support law enforcement and working dogs. Their dedication, along with the generous contributions of citizens throughout the community, makes it possible for the organization to continue its important mission.
Police K9s help keep our communities safe through their extraordinary sense of smell, intelligence, and protective instincts. They serve as invaluable partners in law enforcement, airport security, and search-and-rescue operations, helping detect threats, apprehend suspects, and locate missing persons.
Thank you to everyone who attended the fundraiser and to the many volunteers whose hard work made the event such a success.
“When you walk in front of me, I shall always have your back. When you talk behind me, I shall always be willing to lay down my life for you. And so long as you walk beside me, I shall always call you my brother.”
— Attributed to the K-9 community (origin unknown)
