About the North Sound Police Foundation

Our Story

As with many police foundations, our story began with the purchase of a K9.
In 2012, Mill Creek resident Roy Cats made it possible for us to purchase our first K9, Rasco, through his very generous donation of $10,000. With that gift, our K9 program became a reality. Rasco and his handler, Officer Ian Durkee, made significant contributions to the Mill Creek community and neighboring agencies until early 2018, when Rasco was retired early for medical reasons.

As the program grew, so did community interest in supporting it. In 2017, when it was time to add a second K9, another Mill Creek resident, Barbara Perra, stepped forward to help. It became clear that people in our community had big hearts and wanted to support local law enforcement — they just needed a way to participate. To meet that need, the Mill Creek Police Foundation (MCPF) was created.

Later that year, our second K9, Bagira, was purchased and trained alongside his handler, Officer Nathan Lerma. The City of Mill Creek dedicated thousands of dollars to support the K9 program, covering specialized vehicles, safety equipment, training, veterinary care, food, insurance, and more. MCPF joined that effort by helping provide a permanent home for Bagira once his training was complete. While the City poured the concrete slab, the Foundation stepped in to help cover the remaining kennel costs.

Thanks to substantial donations from two dedicated MCPF board members, along with donated materials and services from several local business owners, a safe, healthy, state-of-the-art kennel was completed just in time for Bagira’s homecoming.

Through this work, our mission continued to grow. What began as support for a single K9 program evolved into a broader commitment to strengthening law enforcement and community partnerships. We are fortunate to be part of such a caring, engaged community and are honored to provide a way for people to come together to support the common good.

As our reach expanded beyond Mill Creek, so did our identity. In 2021, we changed our name to North Sound Police Foundation to better reflect the police departments we now serve, including Lake Forest Park, Lake Stevens, Issaquah, Medina, and Mercer Island.