Wright City introduces newest K9 police dog

WRIGHT CITY — Lupo, the newest police dog in the Wright City Police Department, was introduced to the public during the December 28 Board of Aldermen meeting.

Justin Delivers Hope, an organization founded by Adam and Melinda Hendrix in memory of their son, provided $15,000 to the police department to offset the costs of acquiring Lupo, as well as the training involved for Lupo as well as its K9 officer Jose Malta. Justin Hendrix died in 2017 at the age of 23 of a heroin overdose.

“By publicly speaking about our loss and providing Narcan to families in need, as well as putting K9s on the road to help officers take drugs off the streets, we HOPE to make a difference,” a statement on the organization’s website says.

“If not for the generous donation from Justin Delivers Hope, we would not have been able to continue with our K9 program,” said Chief Tom Canavan.

Canavan also took the time to praise Malta and his previous work in the K9 program.

“Officer Malta has a proven track record of proactively removing drugs from the streets of Wright City,” Canavan said. “I am confident Officer Malta and his partner, Lupo, will continue to have many success stories during their time. As partners, the officers of the Wright City Police Department will continue to be vigilant in our effort to keep drugs out of our community to prevent further overdoses, and also to continue to educate our youth regarding the nature of opioid abuse.”

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Jake Leonard

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Jake Leonard, a broadcast media and journalism veteran, is the editor-in-chief of Heartland Newsfeed. Leonard is also GM and program director of Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, wrestling editor and contributing writer for Ambush Sports, a contributing writer for My Sports Vote and Midwest Sports Network, and a former contributor to Bleacher Report and Overtime Heroics. He resides at home in Nokomis, Ill. with his dog Buster.

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