Amelia police dog Gator wears his new bulletproof vest, which was paid for through a sponsorship that will also benefit the village’s Ohio Police K-9 Memorial.
By Megan Alley
Sun staff

Fundraising efforts for the village of Amelia’s Ohio Police K-9 Memorial, a tribute to police dogs and their handlers, have earned a quarter of the total fundraising goal.

The estimated cost for the memorial, which will be located near Amelia’s municipal building at 119 W. Main St., is $40,000. So far, $10,000 has been raised through sponsorships, donations, t-shirt sales and a December fundraiser at Don Rigo Mexican Bar & Grill.

“The community’s reaction to the memorial has been great,” said Officer Craig Heintzelman, who is spearheading the project. “Everyone seems real supportive of it.”

Heintzelman is the canine handler for the Amelia and the New Richmond Police Departments. He serves the two departments with his dog, and partner, Gator.

Plans for the memorial were announced in May 2015. The design calls for a 30-foot surfaced circle. Three granite panels, engraved with the names of police dogs and their handlers and a poem, will be erected along the backside of the memorial. The panels will be located under a pergola, with flower pots on either side and three benches in front.

Three flagpoles, one with the American flag, one with the Ohio flag and one with the police memorial flag, will be installed behind the granite panels.

A bronze sculpture of a police dog, standing on a boulder with a plaque, will sit at the center of the memorial, facing Main Street; the sculpture is set to be installed in April.

“This memorial gives something back to the dogs,” Heintzelman said. “They don’t ask to be put in harm’s way, but they do it to because they love their handlers.”

He added, “I think, like the human officers, the K-9s should be memorialized too.”

In January, the Ohio Police K-9 Memorial fund secured recognition by the Internal Revenue Service for exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the tax code.

Statewide, early excitement for the project has continued, according to Amelia Village Administrative Manager Sandra Ashba.

“Geographically, we’re looking to expand our fundraising efforts to build on that excitement,” Ashba said.

There are a number of ways to contribute to the fund, according to Heintzelman.

Kroger customers can support the Ohio Police K-9 Memorial fund through the Kroger Community Rewards program.

Supporters can also sponsor a bulletproof dog vest for $700, have the name of any police dog and handler in Ohio inscribed on one of the memorial’s granite panels for $30 or make a donation outright.

Heintzelman started working as a police officer in 1997. After a year or two on the job, and with some experience under his belt, he became more interested in working with a dog.

Heintzelman and Gator have been working together for three years.

“It takes a lot of support to have a police dog,” he said. “He goes home with me and lives with my family.”

He added, “I spend a lot of time with [Gator]; he’s my partner and friend.”

For more information about the Ohio Police K-9 Memorial, visit the organization’s Facebook page. To make a donation to the memorial, call Ashba at 513-718-9135.