DELAFIELD, Wis. — A Lake Country Fire Department assistant chief has retired from his position to launch a nonprofit foundation dedicated to providing therapy dogs to first responders nationwide, following the sudden death of his beloved K-9 partner.
"That is her legacy, that is what she is going to leave, and I'm just the one who is going to make sure it happens," Matt Haerter, the founder of K9 Tesla Foundation, said.
Watch: Assistant fire chief retires to launch foundation after therapy dog's death
Haerter started the K9 Tesla Foundation after the therapy dog, Tesla, suffered a sudden spinal stroke earlier this year and died.
"She had a spinal stroke right in front of me, and it was it. It was an incredible shock," Haerter said.
K9 Tesla had served the Lake Country Fire Department and community for six years, responding to more than 1,000 incidents and helping hundreds of people. Haerter personally funded Tesla's specialized training to become a therapy dog for first responders and community members. His decision to create the foundation stems from witnessing the mental health struggles within his department, including suicide among colleagues.
"In my personal experience seeing what people go through, including having people in my department kill themselves, I knew that there was more that I could personally do," Haerter said. "And if you see a need and you have the ability to address it, that is what you do in our world."
Tesla’s loss affected not only Haerter but the entire community that had come to know and rely on her therapeutic presence.
"She had a lot of good yet to do," Haerter said. "When she did something, it would be with you or with him or with her. When we considered this, we thought if we could fund programs, if we can get 10 Teslas or 100 Teslas or 10,000 Teslas throughout the US, just imagine the good that can be done."
The K9 Tesla Foundation aims to fund therapy dog programs for first responder departments across the country, continuing Tesla's mission of providing emotional support to those who serve their communities. You can find more information here.
Haerter's last day as assistant chief is November 1.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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