HADLEY – The Hadley Police Department (HPD) K9 Unit is partnering with Texas Roadhouse in Hadley on Sept. 7 from 3:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for Sergeant Jacob Marini and his almost 3-year-old German Shepherd, K9 Fitzgerald.

Customers can present a flyer available on the HPD K9 Unit’s Facebook page on their phone or printed for Texas Roadhouse to donate 10 percent of their total food purchase to the unit. The K9 Unit is fully funded through community donations and grants.

“This is the K9 Unit’s first fundraiser with Texas Roadhouse, but they have been an incredible community partner for many years,” Marini said. “From safety events to their donations during the [coronavirus] pandemic, they have always gone out of their way for our department. Beyond that, they are really invested in our community and that is really important to us.”

Marini said K9 Fitzgerald, or Fitz, is his first job. Fitz was born in Slovakia and joined the department in March 2021. Marini described Fitz as a dual-purpose dog, trained in both patrol and narcotics detection. The pair completed an 18-week patrol school with the Massachusetts State Police K9 Unit and a seven-week narcotics detection school.

“K9s are invaluable to policing,” Marini said. “They are highly skilled and are able to elevate the work we do on a daily basis. Their sense of smell alone is a huge asset when it comes to increasing public safety. From keeping drugs off the streets to locating a missing person, they are an important member of the team.”