GREEN BAY, Wis. (NBC 26) — Officer Mack Teske is a K9 handler for Ashwaubenon Public Safety. One of his dogs helps him on patrol.
"He sniffs the narcotics and goes after the bad guys," Teske said.
But his sidekick isn't cheap.
"The average cost, the start-up cost is the most expensive," Teske said. "That's anywhere usually from $80,000 to $100,000 with the car, the K9."
After that, it's still pricey... from toys to food to medical care.
Teske says he's reliant on the community for financial support.
"On a yearly basis, I would say it's probably anywhere from $15,000 to $20,000, depending on how much stuff you go through," he said.
Over 100 people came out to the 10th annual Bark N' Blue fundraiser, which provides money for the Green Bay and Ashwaubenon police department K9 teams.
"Bark N' Blue helps us out with acquiring extra training, extra resources, stuff that normally we can't budget for," Green Bay Police Lieutenant Jordan Atlas said.
He says one of his five-dog unit's K9s is retiring at the Green Bay Police Department, so they'll need another.
"We're not in the business of having them buy us dogs, but this was a great thing that they were able to help us out with in 2022,' Atlas said.
The officer says the team is funded by the city's tax dollars, but there are unexpected costs like additional care and training.
"We learn things nationwide about K9 programs [so] we learn of necessities," Atlas said.
According to Bark N' Blue's founder, the event raised about $15,000 last year, all to help maintain the relationship between officer and K9.
"We want people to know that these dogs are out there helping solve crimes, bring people to justice," Atlas said.
