Sergeant Randall Speiser and Sergeant Jory Shoopman, along with their K9 partners, Copper (pictured below on the left) and Zeke (pictured below on the right), were recently honored with regional awards from the United States Police Canine Association (USPCA).
Sergeant Speiser and K9 Copper were named “Top Dog” and received the Kyle Hall Memorial Award. This prestigious honor is awarded to the team with the highest cumulative score in the detection category, based on results from three separate regional certifications. This marks the third time K9 Copper has earned this recognition, having previously received the award in 2022 and 2023.
Sergeant Shoopman and K9 Zeke were awarded the Kim “Joe” Clingan Award at the regional certifications. This award recognizes teams that, in the judgment of Joe Clingan and regional judges, have overcome significant adversity while maintaining operational readiness. The team was recognized for its exceptional performance and resilience while K9 Zeke continued working despite battling Lyme disease. During this time, Sergeant Shoopman and K9 Zeke assumed responsibility for all departmental institutions and Field Services Offices after K9 Copper was sidelined for several months due to injury, leaving them as the department’s sole operational K9 team. In addition, K9 Zeke earned a second-place overall score in the detection category.