The bond between a K9 officer and their dog is strong. So strong that when a police dog retires, they more often than not become the sole responsibility of their handler—the officer they worked with most closely.
Last year, when Kansas City Police Sgt. and K9 Officer Matt Taylor was eligible to retire, he decided to extend his service rather than leave his K9 partner’s side, making sure they left the force at the same time. It’s a strong bond, one that the nonprofit KCPD K9 Friends supports.
KCPD K9 Friends, whose sole mission is to provide support to police dogs and their handlers, helps Taylor with expenses related to his retired four-legged partner, “Leaning” Leon. “We wanted to really recognize that these dogs have provided a big service to the community,” says Jackie Cudahy, co-founder and president of the organization. “So we want to make sure that they are taken care of. At the end of the day, even though they are working, they are still dogs. They need affection and like to play.”
Cudahy, who attended the KCPD Citizen Police Academy and then volunteered with the academy’s alumni association, saw a need, and along with other volunteers, formed the nonprofit in 2022. “I’m involved because I love the K9s and I like supporting the police department,” she says. “Our whole mission is about supporting the active and retired K9s of the KCPD.”
Some types of necessary care and training gear are not covered by the department’s budget, Cudahy says. Similarly, there are times when a dog must retire early, which brings a different financial strain. For example, when Missouri legalized recreational marijuana, there were three highly trained K9s that had to be retired due to their intense specialization with the now-legal drug.
“One of the big things that we are most proud of is providing a financial stipend each year to offset some of the expense for food and veterinary care,” Cudahy says. “It doesn’t cover everything, but hopefully as we grow we’ll be able to increase that amount.”
The Kansas City Police Department currently employs around 20 dogs, mainly Belgian Malinois Shepherds. “They are similar to German Shepherds but are smaller, leaner and more agile,” Cudhay says.
These K9 units work for the police force in a number of different capacities, from drug enforcement to bomb detection. They go through a rigorous, months-long training program before they are introduced to their handler. The police officer who is being assigned a new dog will go to the training facility and spend time with the dogs before they find one that works well with them. After that, almost all their time is spent together, both on and off the clock.
KCPD K9 Friends has created a 2025 calendar featuring the police department’s dogs and handlers. To learn more, visit kcpdk9friends.org.
