Our Story

Our Story: The Legacy of K9 Buddy

Paws 4 Blue K-9 began with one extraordinary police dog: K9 Buddy of the Palmer Police Department in Massachusetts.

In 2014, K9 Buddy joined the Palmer Police Department and began serving alongside his handler, Officer Sean Ford. Buddy was a dual-purpose police K9 whose work included narcotics detection, motor vehicle searches, tracking missing and wanted persons, article searches, school searches, demonstrations and crowd control.

For six years, Buddy proudly served Palmer and assisted communities throughout Western Massachusetts and beyond.

K9 Buddy from the Palmer, MA Police Department

HOW K9 BUDDY CHANGED OUR MISSION

Our founder, Jan Garabedian, became involved with the Palmer Police Department K9 program by helping raise funds to support Buddy and the program.

What began as local fundraising soon became a much larger mission.

Through years of working with police K9 teams, Jan learned about the financial challenges some K9 programs face. She also became increasingly concerned about retired police K9s and the expenses that can become the responsibility of their handlers and families after retirement.

Buddy inspired Jan to do more.

BUDDY'S RETIREMENT AND LEGACY

K9 Buddy retired from the Palmer Police Department on February 16, 2021, after six years of dedicated service.

In September 2021, Buddy was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. The funds raised for Buddy helped provide medical treatment and care during his illness.

K9 Buddy passed away on April 1, 2022.

Although his watch had ended, Buddy's impact was far from over.

His life, service and special bond with his handler became the inspiration for something that would help other police K9 teams for years to come.

K9 Buddy from the Palmer, MA Police Department attending the stuff the cruiser event

WHY WE EXIST

Police K9s serve beside their handlers, protect communities, help locate missing people, assist in criminal investigations and perform demanding jobs that require extraordinary training, courage and dedication.

When these K9s need help, we believe they deserve support.

Paws 4 Blue K-9 is committed to honoring their service and helping eligible active and retired police K9s through the Buddy Foundation.

Every donation, purchase, fundraiser and supporter helps us continue the mission that K9 Buddy inspired.

KEEP K9 BUDDY'S LEGACY ALIVE

You can become part of Buddy's continuing story.

Support Paws 4 Blue K-9 by making a donation, shopping our merchandise, attending an event, becoming a sponsor or simply sharing our mission with others.

Together, we can honor the police K9s who serve our communities and help those who need us most.

One Partner. One Mission. One Unbreakable Bond.

THE BUDDY FOUNDATION

In Buddy's memory, Paws 4 Blue K-9 created the Buddy Foundation to provide financial assistance to eligible active and retired police K9s in need.

What began with fundraising for one local police K9 grew into a mission to help K9 teams across the United States.

Buddy is the reason we started.

His legacy is the reason we continue.

K9 Buddy from the Palmer Massachusetts Police Department joining the department in 2014

K9 Buddy from the Palmer Massachusetts Police Department at the Benefit for Buddy Fundraiser

FUNDRAISERS MAKING THE DIFFERENCE

Paws 4 Blue K-9 Fundraiser

Paws 4 Blue K-9 Fundraiser 2025

PAST EVENTS

It all started with local fundraisers that has evolved into a passion to help Police K9s across the country

Two women wearing sunglasses, smiling, standing under a canopy at an outdoor event, with various flags, including a Black Lives Matter flag with a dog's face and a police flag supporting K-9 units, hanging behind them.

Meet our Volunteers

Two women smiling at an outdoor event, standing in front of a display of black T-shirts with police dog logos and prices. One woman wears a black T-shirt with a guitar graphic, the other a black shirt with police K9 unit logo.
A booth at an outdoor event with a table covered by a black and white K-9 UNIT banner featuring a police dog and an American flag. Two women stand behind the table, smiling, with other people and vehicles in the background. One man is making a hand sign and wearing a hat and sunglasses.
Three women sitting outdoors at a table, smiling, with a covered area in the background. Two of the women are wearing black caps with white lettering, and all are wearing blue shirts.

PAWS 4 BLUE K-9

1ST ANNUAL FUNDRAISER 7/22/2023

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Paws 4 Blue K-9 2nd Annual Fundraiser

7/20/2024

Paws 4 Blue K-9 fundraiser with handlers from across Hampden Country
A man dressed in a firefighter suit training a Belgian Malinois police dog in an outdoor event, with spectators and parked cars in the background.
Leicester police officer Matt Fenuccio with K9 Cooney feeding ice cream through a police vehicle window.
A police K9 handler with a black service bomb dog
Charlton Police K9 handler and K9 Milkshake
Sean ford serving dog ice cream sundaes at the Paws 4 Blue K9 fundraiser
Massachusetts Environmental Police
Charlton Police Department and K9 Milkshake
Leicester police officer Matt Fenuccio with K9 Cooney
K-9 police training demonstration with a German Shepherd biting a padded sleeve held by a man, while a police officer stands nearby with a leash and other spectators watch.
Two police officers, one male and one female, with tactical gear and body cameras, standing on a grassy field with a German Shepherd police dog. Several bystanders, including children and adults, are watching the scene.
Umass Police Department and K9 Parker
Police officers and onlookers at a park, with a police dog in action, during a demonstration or event.
Charlton Police Department and K9 Milkshake
Monson Police Department with handler Dave Rondeau and K9 Rex
Police officer with a German Shepherd during a public demonstration, with onlookers watching in the background.
Massachusetts Environmental Police
A police officer training a German Shepherd dog in a park with an audience watching.
Police officers and a K9 dog during a public demonstration outdoors, with onlookers watching.
Leicester police officer Matt Fenuccio with K9 Cooney
Sean Ford with a statue of his beloved K9 Buddy
Longmeadow Police Department with handler and K9 Reuban
Umass Police Department with handler and K9 Alec
Longmeadow Police Department with handler and K9 Reuban
Police officer training a German Shepherd police dog in an outdoor setting with onlookers in the background.
Umass Police Department with handler and K9 Parker
Close-up of a black Labrador Retriever with a serious expression, looking directly at the camera, outdoors, in black and white.
K9 demos at the Paws 4 Blue K9 Fundraiser
K9 demos at the Paws 4 Blue K9 Fundraiser
Umass Police Department K9 demos at the Paws 4 Blue K9 Fundraiser
K9 demos at the Paws 4 Blue K9 Fundraiser
K9 demos at the Paws 4 Blue K9 Fundraiser
K9 demos at the Paws 4 Blue K9 Fundraiser with the Charlton Police Department and K9 Milkshake
K9 demos at the Paws 4 Blue K9 Fundraiser
K9 demos at the Paws 4 Blue K9 Fundraiser with handlers from Springfield Police Department
Retired K9 Sampson from the Ware Police Department
Paw Partrol in Monson Police Department at the Paws 4 Blue K9 Fundraiser
K9 demos at the Paws 4 Blue K9 Fundraiser with Massachusetts Environmental Police
Staff at the Paws 4 Blue K9 Fundraiser
K9 demos at the Paws 4 Blue K9 Fundraiser
Four police officers and a man in casual clothing standing on a grassy field, with a row of parked cars behind them under a partly cloudy sky, and white dogs in the foreground.
K9 demos at the Paws 4 Blue K9 Fundraiser
K9 Buddy statue with his handler Sean Ford at the Paws 4 Blue K9 Fundraiser
The Paws 4 Blue K9 Fundraiser
K9 demos at the Paws 4 Blue K9 Fundraiser
K9 demos at the Paws 4 Blue K9 Fundraiser with Charlton Police Department and K9 Milkshake
K9 demos at the Paws 4 Blue K9 Fundraiser
K9 demos at the Paws 4 Blue K9 Fundraiser
K9 demos at the Paws 4 Blue K9 Fundraiser with the Springfield Police Department and handler Blair and K9 Flexx
K9 demos at the Paws 4 Blue K9 Fundraiser
K9 demos at the Paws 4 Blue K9 Fundraiser with K9 Parker
Handler Sean Ford receiving his statue of K9 Buddy at the Paws 4 Blue K9 Fundraiser
K9 Flexx from the Springfield Police Department at the Paws 4 Blue K9 Fundraiser
K9 Tonka with the Massachusetts Environmental Police at the Paws 4 Blue K9 Fundraiser
K9 demos at the Paws 4 Blue K9 Fundraiser
K9 Milkshake from the Charlton Police Department at the Paws 4 Blue K9 Fundraiser
People gathered at a booth under a tent at K9 demos at the Paws 4 Blue K9 Fundraiser
Flyer promoting the Paws 4 Blue K-9 2nd Annual Police K-9 Fundraiser and Craft Fair on Saturday, July 20, 2024, from 10 am to 4 pm at Westview Farms Creamery in Monson, Massachusetts. The flyer features images of police K-9 dogs and cartoon dog chara