95.7 The Rock raising money for La Crosse Police K9 officer

The La Crosse Police Department is in need of a new K9 officer, after K9 Zaback was injured at a presentation with students in July.

Zaback had surgery in September and was medically retired.

The cost to replace Zaback is not cheap, according to K9 handler and police officer Dakota Jelinski.

“We usually get these dogs from overseas, so just to get the dog, it’s about $5,000-$10,000,” Jelinski said. “We then go immediately to training for 14 weeks.”

The dogs the department employs are cross-trained for things like tracking, apprehensions, and drug work.

Jelinski says having the K9 helps in multiple ways.

“It bridges that gap when we’re on the street with drug work and keeping the officers safe,” Jelinski said. “It also bridges the gap with the community. Everyone loves dogs.”

Downtown La Crosse radio station 95.7 The Rock is helping raise money needed to purchase another K9.

There will be a week-long auction starting Nov. 15 with items including Rock Fest VIP tickets, an autographed guitar and more.

You can also take part in a raffle for a Honda Motorcross bike, or simply make a donation to possibly name the new K9.

Click here for more information.