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HAPDA is a nonprofit organization comprised of law enforcement officers and other professional canine handlers from across Kansas, Iowa, and Missouri. The organization is run by its members, and its goal is to provide certifications for canines that meet or exceed the national standards.
Certifications
- Patrol Dog
- Narcotics Detection
- Explosive Detection
- Search and Rescue
- Accelerant Detection
Training for the Streets
In 1990, it was decided that the Kansas/Missouri Police Dog Association would disband in favor of smaller, more geographically focused, training and certifications.
HAPDA was formed by several Kansas K-9 handlers with the main goal, “Training for the Streets.” It was believed if several agencies in close proximity of each other trained together for a common goal and if the training is geared for “The Streets,” the entire K-9 community would benefit. The secondary goal of HAPDA was to make certification more restrictive than the industry standard while having certification geared toward “The Streets” as opposed to “Field Trials.”
Since 1990, HAPDA has grown and includes members from Kansas, Missouri, and Iowa. Our certifications are hosted by members of the association and alternate every year between Kansas and Iowa. Certification judges are chosen using strict criteria and all judges are certified trainers and or judges from outside of HAPDA.
HAPDA is constantly updating our by-laws and certification standards as the K-9 world changes. We believe as long as we “Train for the Streets” the K-9 world and the people we serve will benefit.