FOND DU LAC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office K9, Iro, partner of Deputy Blaine Evans, was critically injured in a shooting on October 14.
According to the Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, the dog has made great strides in his recovery.
Since the incident, the local community has been barking for the blue.
It was sea of blue at Rosenow Elementary School in Fond du Lac for “Go Blue for Iro” day. Students were encouraged to wear the color blue to show their support for injured K9 Iro and the law enforcement community as a whole.
“Having the handler as a previous Rosenow student and the handler’s mom as a teacher, it was really important that we showed our support in some way. So “Go Blue” just made sense and it kind of just took off from there with other schools and within our community,” said 2nd grade teacher, Suzanne Gruett.
The Rosenow community raised more than $2500 for the Sheriff’s Office K9 fund, by going blue. Some classes even wrote notes of thanks and encouragement for the dog.
Gruett said, “I think it’s not just this dog. I think it’s just showing how we support one another all time and I think it just takes one little bit to step out and do something and people really latched on to it to show the support across our schools and across the community.”
Acts of kindness and support are coming from the community.
Local artist Mindy Leitner, who lives down the street from the shooting scene, painted this picture of Iro just hours after the incident.
She said, “It was very therapeutic for me, but also I was really thinking a lot about the officers on scene because of what they had just witnessed.”
Leitner hanging her portrait of Iro up on a fence near the scene, adding, “It was very moving for a lot of people and that’s just so gratifying for me. That was a big part of it. And since then it’s kind of taken on a life of its own.”
Several local businesses have since teamed up to bring the portrait of Iro to others.
EP-direct providing 500 prints, of the portrait, that are being sold for a minimum $10 donation. All of the proceeds will be donated to the Sheriff’s Office K-9 fund.
“Our police force and the sheriff’s department in Fond du Lac and Fond du Lac County, they really are doing a good job. They’re catching a lot of crime and they’re taking care of us. So, this is just a small thing we can do,” said EP-direct owner Ron Langacker.
People who buy the prints are encouraged to hang them in their windows to show their appreciation for Iro and all of local law enforcement.
Prints are available for sale at the following places; Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office, EP-Direct, C.D. Smith Construction, Stone Oak Coffee Haus, Animal Outfitters, and Sam Meyer State Farm Agent.
More information about the prints and their availability can be found on the “Art for Iro” Facebook page.
The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office has received numerous inquiries about how to donate to the K9 program to help cover the cost of medical bills, follow up services and to support other K9 teams, which are 100% donor funded.
Those wishing to donate can send checks to:
FDL Sheriff K9 Program
PO Box 1273
Fond du Lac, WI 54936-1273
Donations can also be made by credit card at the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office at 180 South Macy Street, Monday through Friday, 8am-4pm, or over the phone by calling 920-929-3372.
