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Irondog K9 International Inc.
Irondog K9 International, Inc. strives to empower law enforcement K9 teams to master today’s crime safely in the community and return home to their families.
Crime is ever-changing in our communities. For law enforcement K9 teams to effectively manage that crime to protect us, they must also change with the times. Unfortunately, in many cases, financial budgets are extremely limited, especially in the K9 departments. As a result, handlers and their K9S often lack advanced training and exposure to potential threats until they actually face them, lack the proper equipment needed to perform their duties effectively, and, even worse, lack the funding for premier veterinary care in the event of sustained injuries, resulting in untimely K9 lives lost. Through partnerships and donations, Irondog K9 International identifies K9S and their departments to provide for their needs in these 3 key areas: Training and education, Equipment, and funding for on-duty injury veterinarian bills.
Irondog K9 International founder Charlie Nash is an honorably discharged disabled veteran of the United States Navy. Dogs have always been a passion and a part of his life; even when he married his wife Mitzi in 2002, she came with two dogs. Charlie became a certified dog handler and trainer, but health issues redirected his path. "I knew I wanted to make an eternal impact," Charlie said, and that's how Irondog K9 International came about!
The 501(c)(3) non-profit was established in 2015 to provide for the needs of law enforcement K9s and their handlers to successfully perform their duties. Because of donors and many selfless others, Irondog has been able to provide for countless K9 teams over the years to bring them safely home to their families.
Tebow is the real face of the company. He is a retired law enforcement K9 officer who quickly became bored. So, when Charlie and Tebow became partners, and they went into explosive detection work together, where they have spent several years and met some amazing people.
Tebow, a pretty personable K9, enjoys working to protect people, especially Charlie. He has now retired once again, but a lot of his K9 friends continue to work, protecting their handlers and you. K9s live to excel at their job, but they don’t always have what they need to make that happen. Irondog K9 International strives to equip, protect, and train law enforcement K9 teams, and Tebow has been proud to represent them.
As a small nonprofit, Irondog K9 International gained momentum during the pandemic in 2020. When the world closed down, Mitzi Nash was able to dedicate more time to Irondog to grow its presence. A lifelong comrade and US Navy veteran, Kyle Burnette joined the board, bringing his corporate experience to support conferences, seminars, and special events.
Over time, Jennifer Miller joined the team to assist with organizational needs and manage social media.
The additional dedication was a win for many deserving law enforcement K9 teams; the number of departments they were able to help doubled. The board consists of the nonprofit's founder and CEO, CO-President Charlie Nash, CFO and CO-President Mitzi Nash, and Secretary Kyle Burnett.
Financials
Programs
Training & Education
Anthony Douglas Williams wrote: “Knowledge comes from learning. Wisdom comes from living.” We believe in a multifaceted approach for K9 team training and education. Irondog K9 International supports conferences which offer the opportunity to share in the knowledge of nationally and internationally recognized industry leaders, while our support in seminars enables the teams to transition that knowledge into wisdom through real-life application. Areas of focus may include scent recognition, integrated team training, live gunfire, K9 medical/ trauma care, K9 patrol tactics, tracking, etc.
Equipment
Having the right equipment to do the job is integral in any profession. K9 law enforcement is no different! Harnesses, leashes, leads, flat collars, E-collars, and K9 ballistic protection vests are just a few of the items you may think of that Irondog K9 International has donated over the years. We have also contributed other training aids you may not have considered, like obstacle courses, training suits and sleeves, and scent detection kits. However, our now most requested item is the K9 and Handler FAK (First Aid Kit), comparable to the ones used by the military, featuring life-saving best-in-class field-proven emergency components, in weather-proof vacuum-sealed and compact packaging.
Veterinarian Bills
Being a K9 in law enforcement is exciting, but no less hazardous than the role played by their human counterpart. In fact, sometimes it is more so and presents with its own set of dangers. Law enforcement K9s search for drugs, money and explosives, locate missing people, find crime scene evidence, apprehend suspects targeted by the police, and protect their handler. Even though penalties continue to grow steeper for harming these fearless K9s, criminals are ruthless! We believe funding on-duty injury veterinarian bills for these courageous K9s so they receive the best medical care is a small price to pay for their daily sacrifice in the streets protecting our neighborhoods. Gun shot and stab wounds, ACL strains, porcupine quill removal and rattlesnake bites are just some of the injuries subsidized by Irondog K9 International through generous supporters like you.