Nevada City, Calif. September 11, 2017 – The 2017 Paw and Order Dinner will have a dual focus this year.
Taking place on Friday evening, September 22nd at the Miner’s Foundry Cultural Center in Nevada City, the dinner, program and auction will begin at 5:30pm. In addition to raising the approximately $28,000 annual budget which supports Nevada City K9 Officer Rüdiger, Rüdiger Foundation hopes to also provide the initial funding to purchase a K9 Officer and equipment for the Grass Valley Police Department.
Grass Valley Police Department has received City Council approval to explore implementation of what would become their only law enforcement K9 Officer. The Rüdiger Foundation hopes to provide one component of the funding solution. A portion of the proceeds from the 2017 Paw and Order Dinner will be earmarked for acquisition of both the actual dog and the necessary safety equipment required, including a specially equipped vehicle, custom fitted vest, camera and monitor.
Start up expenses for new law enforcement K9 programs can be cost prohibitive for small, rural departments. “It cost us $71,000 to put Rüdiger on patrol,” said Joey Jordan, president of the Rüdiger Foundation. “We now understand the additional need of providing a camera and monitor system which attaches to the bullet-resistant vest, so we estimate the higher initial cost of $80,000 to put another dog on the streets.”
Chief Gammelgard of the Grass Valley Police Department is appreciative of the support of his community as demonstrated by the assistance of organizations like Rüdiger Foundation and the local Law Enforcement and Fire Protection Council, both with a mission of helping fill funding gaps in law enforcement needs. “It’s important to me as Chief to provide to our officers all of the tools that make them better able to perform their job and to keep them safe. A K9 officer is a tremendous tool and an important part of that equation.”
Rüdiger Foundation suggests people secure their tickets early as last year this event had a wait list. Catered by Antonio Ayestaran, it is again anticipated to sell out early. The tickets are $100 and are available online by visiting Rüdiger Fan Club on Facebook and linking to the Paw and Order event page, or at the front counter of the Grass Valley and Nevada City police departments.
Rüdiger will be on hand to share stories of his impressive law enforcement career, which has been documented on film. Grass Valley Police Chief Alex Gammelgard will be joining Rüdiger to share the importance of adding a second K9 to the local coverage area.
Sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting joey@rudigerfoundation.org and auction items of goods and services are still being gratefully accepted.
Rüdiger is 100% community funded. The community supports Rüdiger through fundraising events like the Paw and Order Dinner. Rüdiger Foundation was formed to provide ongoing support to the Nevada City K9 Program and to support other local law enforcement K9 needs. 100% of donations go to encourage and fund local K9 programs and are tax deductible