ABOUT 2*
The 2* sign is used by K9 handlers to designate “two ass to risk” - every time they go to a call, there are two lives on the line. It’s a reminder to be careful and work as a team with your dog.
It’s important to me because I’m the wife of a police K9 handler. Every day for the past 15+ years, my husband and his furry partners have trusted each other and relied on each other’s unique strengths in the most urgent of law enforcement situations.
My love and respect for police K9s goes back to my own days in uniform, when I was happy to lay tracks for our K9 unit, or don the bite suit and catch dogs (painful even through the big suit!).
After our kids were born, I left law enforcement to pursue my dream of being a photographer and graphic designer, and since 2001 I’ve been fortunate to work from my home studio on these pursuits.
THEN … then came HIRO - my husband’s first K9 partner - a Belgian Malinois / German Shepherd hybrid.
For more than 8 years they were constant companions, spending hours in training and racking up an impressive 1200+ deployments (tracking, area searches), located 100+ subjects (criminal suspects and missing persons) and finding many articles and contraband.
Hiro retired in 2017 and spent his final 4 years in blissful and well-deserved retirement at home with me as I worked in my studio. Hiro crossed the Rainbow Bridge on 7/29/21 and will forever be deeply missed.
NEXT - K9 ANDO became my husband’s second canine partner in late 2017.
A super smart Dutch Shepherd, Ando learned fast and had amazing skills right out of training. They spent 7 years in patrol and explosives detection, and Ando had as impressive a career as Hiro.
In 2024, Ando retired from active duty due to medical concerns.
NOW … in 2025, my husband began working with K9 JAZZ.
She is a sassy female Belgian Malinois, dual certified in patrol and narcotics. She is off to a great start in her career and I can’t wait to see what this team accomplishes!
Heather is a self-taught photographer living in North Port, Florida.
She ran a busy portrait studio specializing in babies, children and families for nearly 15 years, then shifted her focus to fine art home decor prints and is a licensed commercial artist. You can see her work at Catch A Star Fine Art.
She’s also shot almost 100 weddings over the years, and has been photographing police dogs and creating Collectors Cards since 2010.
One of the things she loves most about photography is that there is always something to learn, always a subject or technique to explore.
In her free time, Heather loves gardening in her wooded acres, traveling, and spending time with her dogs, husband, and kids (listed in no particular order :D ).