March 29, 2024
Local News | The Times


Local News

K9 retirement time: Fundraising underway for Streator's next police dog

New K-9 to be named after Hunter Wolfe

Nine years ago almost to the day, police dog Fips put in his first shift as a member of the Streator Police Department.

Fundraising efforts are now underway to bring in a new canine partner for K-9 Officer Aaron Smith and allow Fips to enjoy his retirement, and in the process honoring a late dog lover as well.

“Obviously, you come to a point where a dog deserves a well-earned break,” Smith said of Fips, who began serving on the Streator Police Department in November 2011. “It’s kind of strange to be in my situation, I guess, having worked with a dog for nine straight years and now trying to find his replacement.

Smith said replacing Fips is strange but exciting, because K-9 officers are invaluable tools.

“Without them, we’re sometimes limited as to what we can do.”

To help raise money for Fips’ male German shepherd successor, Smith turned to longtime friend Nikki Rambo, a devoted dog lover herself who for decades has fundraised for canine causes. Between them, the two agreed it would be fitting to name Streator’s next police dog after Rambo’s late son, Hunter Wolfe, who died in a workplace accident in July 2017.

With a goal to raise more than $10,000 for the purchase and training of K-9 Hunter, Rambo and her “A-Team” of friends and family who have helped her with multiple fundraising efforts over the years got to work.

“After Hunter got killed, I turned my fundraising efforts more toward that. I kind of left the [fundraising for] dogs alone,” Rambo said. “Then I ran into officer Smith, and he told me Fips would be retiring soon and asked if I’d be interested in helping, and I said, ‘Of course.’ Why wouldn’t I help? So we set a personal goal of $10,000, and we got the ball rolling.”

A carryout taco fundraiser held earlier this month, organized by Rambo’s friend, Veronica Gonzalez, raised more than $3,000.

“Like I told Nikki, we never thought it’d blow up as much as it did,” Gonzalez said. “Streator as a town, it never disappoints. People always come out for a worthy cause.”

Gonzalez said the fundraiser sold about 1,000 tacos.

“We had so much great help, including Hunter’s friends. I’m so glad we did it and it was a success.”

Another "A-Team" member, Nikki Hughes, is hosting an online Scentsy party "Honoring Hunter" at ndkuhlmann.scentsy.us/ through the end of the year, with a portion of sales going to the cause. Rambo's Streator High classmate Scott Coley designed a shirt that's being sold through the Facebook group "Honoring Hunter Wolfe."

And more fundraisers are to come, with the aim, Rambo says, “to give the dog to the Streator Police no later than the summer of 2021.”

“I could not say enough good things about Nikki and what she calls her ‘A-Team,’ “Smith said. “Nikki has been fantastic. She makes contact with me almost on a daily basis. Her excitement for this matches my excitement for this.

Smith said he thinks it’s a great honor for the dog to be named for Hunter.

“He was a great kid, and I feel honored to be in a position to help Nikki honor him.”

Fips – whose purchase in 2011 was aided by fundraisers organized by the Streator Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, ending a four-year stretch where the Streator Police did not have an in-house K9 unit – has assisted officers in more than 175 arrests during his time on the force, said Smith.

Upon his retirement, Fips will continue to live with and be taken care of by Smith as he has for the past nine years – but just as a pet, not a co-worker.

“He enjoys work,” said Smith. “He’s excited to come to work.”

Smith said Fips will be a bit shocked when Hunter takes over the job.

“Unlike most of us, he thinks coming to work is fun.”