We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Andrea Alt. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Andrea below.
Andrea, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
I started with being the first K9 handler and the first female ever hired for my department where I work. I began to make educational videos and posting them on social media about how working dogs impact people, help people and risk their lives for us. I then began to receive donations for my K9, from people who watched my videos. I was fortunate enough to have all of the necessary safety equipment for my K9 (ballistic vest, safety harness, proper gear, etc). I traveled around the country for training with my working K9 and met other K9 handlers often. I learned that a lot of other K9 handlers did not have the proper equipment and protection for their working K9. That’s when I started my nonprofit organization. It was my calling and goal to help them get the right equipment they needed for their K9.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am a female and a US Army veteran. I grew up on a farm loving animals and working with them. I always had the drive and determination to work with animals one day for my career. I am the first female ever hired for my police department and the first K9 handler for my department. Four years into my K9 career I started a nonprofit organization called the K9 Creed Armour program. This nonprofit is in the name of my first working dog, K9 Creed and my second working dog, K9 Armour. I travel all over the country attending K9 training and fundraising events for working dogs to help them get the proper equipment they need to safely work. We sell K9 apparel on our website and take monetary donations to help fund our nonprofit.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I started making videos about my police K9, our life together and how he is trained. During training and work he rides with me in a secure kennel area in our police car. His area has a door that can automatically open when I press a button. The button is worn on my work vest. I began training him to come find me when his door opens and teaching people the importance of this. If I ever need my K9 for assistance and I am away from my car (with in 1/2 mile) I can press that button. If that door accidentally opens it’s a safety concern. By training him to come find me whenever that door opens is the best option to protect me, him and the public.
Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?
I started my nonprofit solely on my own with my own money and a few small donations from my social media videos. I began saving and working as much overtime as I could to kick start the nonprofit. I needed to pay for a website, apparel to sell and event booth fees.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.k9creed.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrea.k9creed.armour.official?igsh=bDZsOHQxOHVpbXY1&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/12LqWwQU2GX/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@k9creed.armour.official
Image Credits
Eric Larson