DELAFIELD, Wis. — A long-standing therapy K-9 in Wisconsin is leaving behind a legacy.
K-9 Tesla served the Lake Country communities for the past six years. She worked as a therapy dog for first responders and community members.
In April 2025, she suddenly suffered a spinal stroke, and soon after, died. It was a heartbreaking time for the community and her handler/dad, Matthew Haerter.
“I can’t even describe it,” Haerter, Lake Country Fire Rescue assistant chief, said.
During her six years on the job, Tesla was able to impact countless first responders, community members and anyone she came in contact with.
“She always gave,” Haerter said. “She always wanted things to be better. She never made a moment in anyone’s lives, anything but better any moment she was around.”
After her passing, Haerter said he was flooded with messages from hundreds of people. He said they shared what an impact Tesla made on their lives.
“It still hasn’t even slowed down,” he said. “The people that reached out and what they said — many of which I didn’t know we impacted — has been largely indescribable.”
When Tesla first got on the job, it was almost unheard of to have a therapy dog for first responders, let alone in a fire department.
She was a leading example in her field and gave proof to other departments and agencies that her work mattered.
“Her work was something that could have easily been a full-time job,” Haerter said.
Although she is no longer serving her community physically, her legacy will live on. Haerter has started a K-9 Tesla Scholarship Fund to raise money to support other therapy dog programs like the one he and Tesla started.
He said his goal is to continue Tesla’s mission and share her impact with countless others.
“If we can be a part of making sure this continues, that is the goal right now,” Haerter said. “It is bigger than her. It’s about what she was doing and making sure that we can capture that and we can get the masses on board with the direction and we can do it in a responsible way so many other countless people can benefit from the same approach.”
Haerter said he is in the process of making the K-9 Tesla Scholarship Fund into a nonprofit. He said being able to channel his energy to help others is helping him grieve and keep her memory alive.
If you’re interested in donating or learning more about the program, click here.