It began with a vision in 2015 and although his small budget was unable to provide for a K9 program, former Nevada City Police Chief Timothy Foley recognized the value of K9 resources. Foley gathered together a group of volunteers and formed the Western Nevada County K9 Association (WNCK9A). With support from the Sean M. Walsh K9 Memorial Foundation and a large donation from an anonymous donor, K9 Rüdiger was purchased for Nevada City. With the on-going support of the community, K9 Rüdiger became the 1st 100% community-funded K9 Officer in the nation.
K9 Rüdiger quickly became a local celebrity. As a law enforcement asset trained in detection, apprehension and protection, Rüe turned into a valuable public relations tool. The community loved him, supported him, and demonstrated a desire to provide additional K9 resources to other local agencies. In 2017, WNCK9A created a 501c3 not-for-profit corporation and memorialized our 1st K9 officer by naming it Rüdiger Foundation.
Today, Rüdiger Foundation enjoys strong support from individuals and businesses. Rüdiger Foundation’s goal is to achieve 24/7/365 K9 coverage for Nevada County, providing officer and community protection, while enhancing relations between law enforcement and those it serves. Our local K9 Officers have repeatedly demonstrated that a robust K9 program not only enhances community safety — these valuable highly trained K9 partners save lives.