2025 ATK9 CONFERENCE
K9 DEFENSE FUND-ATK9 2025
SCHOLORSHIP OPPURTUNITY
This year, K9 Defense Fund is proud to sponsor two law enforcement K9 team to attend the 2025 American Tactical K9 Association (ATK9) Conference, taking place October 6–10, 2025 at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center in Indiana.
We believe every working K9 team deserves access to the best training available—regardless of department funding. That’s why we’re covering full conference registration for two K9-handler teams to attend this elite, scenario-based training event.
About the ATK9 Conference
The ATK9 Conference has become the world’s largest hands-on K9 training event, now entering its fourth year. Hosted at a one-of-a-kind urban training center, the conference includes four full days of advanced fieldwork taught by instructors with real-world operational experience at the highest levels, plus a vendor showcase featuring cutting-edge K9 gear—some of which is integrated directly into the training.
This is not a lecture-based seminar. It’s for handlers who want to train hard, build new skillsets, and return home as more professional, better-prepared K9 teams.
2025 ATK9 Scholarship Recipients
K9 Bert & Deputy Josh Oesterreich
Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, MO
K9 Bert is a 21 month old Belgian Malinois/Shepherd mix from the Czech Republic! He is a dual purpose patrol K9, trained in obedience, apprehension, narcotics detection , tracking, and article search.
Deputy Josh Oesterreich and K9 Bert are assigned to the patrol division with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and have been proudly serving together since March 2025.
Off duty? Bert trades tracking suspects for chasing his favorite ball, tugging on his rope, and soaking up family time.
Deputy Oesterreich shared:
“As a new handler with a new dog, I am looking for as much training as possible to not only improve as a handler, but to help K9 Bert and I grow as a team. Attending as much training as possible is extremely important to a new K9 team to ensure the team is successful. We are not always able to attend training due to the costs associated with them, so this scholarship will allow K9 Bert and I the opportunity to receive quality and useful training that would otherwise be out of reach. K9 Bert and I are extremely thankful to K9 Defense Fund for awarding us this scholarship and giving us the opportunity to attend such a great training conference.”
K9 Ghost & Deputy Matthew Cisneros
Hoke County Sheriff's Office, NC
K9 Ghost is a 3-year-old Dutch Shepherd partnered with Deputy Matthew Cisneros of the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina. Ghost is a dual-purpose patrol K9, highly trained in obedience, apprehension, narcotics detection, tracking, article search, and firearm recovery. Together, this dedicated team has been serving their community for the past three years.
Deputy Cisneros brings eight years of experience as a K9 handler and currently deploys Ghost as part of the Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team. Their work is vital to the safety of both their agency and the citizens they protect.
Deputy Cisneros shared that, as part of a smaller agency supporting the Fort Bragg area, resources are limited—but his determination is not. He hopes to continue growing not only as a handler, but also as a future trainer, and to bring the advanced knowledge and skills he gains back to the rest of his unit. This scholarship represents an opportunity to multiply impact: one handler’s training becomes an entire team’s strength.
None of this would be possible without the generosity of our supporters. Your donations allow us to provide scholarships, life-saving equipment, and essential training opportunities for K9 teams like Deputy Oesterreich & K9 Bert, and Deputy Cisneros & K9 Ghost.
Every contribution directly fuels our mission: Protecting the paws who protect us. If you’d like to help us continue making an impact, please consider donating today. Together, we can ensure every K9 team has the training, protection, and resources they need to come home safe.