Lake Country K-9 dies; scholarship to increase therapy dog programs

Scholarship to increase therapy dog programs

A beloved Lake Country Fire & Rescue therapy dog is dead, and now the community is stepping up to honor K-9 named Tesla.

DELAFIELD, Wis. - A beloved Lake Country Fire & Rescue therapy dog is dead, and now the community is stepping up to honor K-9 named Tesla.

Local perspective:

At Inclusion Coffee Company in Delafield, owner Mackenzie Edinger is mourning the loss of one of her favorite customers.

K-9 Tesla was a regular until last week. She died after suffering a stroke in her spinal cord.

Tesla was the Lake Country Fire & Rescue’s credentialed therapy dog. She helped first responders process daily stress and was there for the community whenever someone needed a hug.

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"She would come in here, we would always have a treat for her," Edinger said. "People wanted to see her. She made them feel better."

Lake Country Fire & Rescue Assistant Chief Matthew Haerter had the 10-year-old black lab by his side at work and at home since she was a puppy.

"I was really lucky to be around her more than anyone or anything in my life," Haerter said. "I don’t take that lightly. Yeah – she was good. You could tell that when you walked into a room it got better. If someone was sad, it took the edge off of things."

What we know:

Haerter said most public safety departments don’t have the budget for therapy dogs. He said training and care can add up to $20,000. So, he set up a scholarship in Tesla's memory – the K9 Tesla Scholarship Fund.

"To support programs and initiate programs to make sure the financial worries of agencies and handlers aren’t something that comes into consideration when it comes to starting these programs for the mental health of people who do this work," he explained.

It’s a testament to a dog who brought comfort wherever she went and to the man who knows she’ll keep making a difference.

"She just always gave – she never for one minute in her life did she ever take," Haerter said. "The definition of love."

What you can do:

Inclusion Coffee Company will have a fundraiser and raffle this Saturday, April 26, from 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. to benefit the scholarship. 25% of sales will go to the cause. The fundraiser will include a raffle for various items donated by area businesses.

A GoFundMe has also been set up for those who cannot attend.

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A fund has also been set up at Summit Credit Union locations.