ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — Three aspiring Eagle Scouts are working to earn the highest rank in scouting by honoring protectors of their community.
K-9s are more than a crime fighting tool. To their handlers, they are like family, and they’re beloved by the communities they serve.
Troop 422 Life Scouts Jayce Masters, Ashton Teague, and Derek Boyer came up with the idea to build a K-9 memorial for the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office for their Eagle Scout project.
They’ve raised $21,000 of the $55,000 it will take to build the project. But, they’re up for the task.
“They do so much for our county and go unappreciated, so building this K9 memorial will have the public see what they have done, and how many k9s have put toward our safety,” Boyer said.
The teens have divided the project into three parts. One will raise money for the foundation and landscaping, another will fundraise for the granite and plaques with the names of the K9s, and another will fundraise for the statue of the dog.
All of the K9s will be named on the memorial from 1981 when the K9 unit was founded in the county.
Special markers will be engraved next to the names of the K9s who died in the line of duty. K9 Vasko was shot and killed while chasing a carjacking and kidnapping suspect in 2004. K9 Dallas died following a training event in 2019.
“Having them remembered and recognized is fantastic for us,” said Sgt. Benjamin DeBlieck.
DeBlieck is currently the K9 handler for K9 Tico, trained in sniffing out drugs and people.
“With Tico himself, we have found fleeing felons, we have found lost and missing elderly,” DeBlieck said.
Tico has also helped track missing children. After a day’s work, Tico goes home as part of DeBlieck’s family.
“For us, they’re much more than just a tool we utilize for law enforcement,” DeBlieck said.
For Life Scout Jayce Masters, the project is also personal. His father was a K9 handler for decades in St. Lucie County.
“I’ve lived with K9s my whole life, so I wanted to do something for the dogs because I love them,” Masters said.
Only about 5% of scouts reach the ranks of Eagle Scout.
“I would be proud of myself and feel like I’ll get much more opportunities in life,” said Ashton Teague.
“They become part of our families, so obviously we have that connection and bond with the dog. For another group in the community to also recognize their importance is amazing,” DeBlieck said.
You can help the scouts reach their fundraising goals by writing a check to the St Lucie County Sheriff’s Office Crime Prevention League Fund. You must put ‘K9 Memorial’ in the memo section.
The scouts will also hold individual fundraising events in the future.
