Stevens Point police introduce new K9 logo, contest winner

By Brandi Makuski

The Stevens Point Police Department has unveiled a new logo for its K9 unit, thanks to a little help from the community.

Of the five designs submitted for consideration last year, the department chose a patriot-themed design bearing a silhouette of a K9 dog, hand-drawn by Plover resident Stephanie Schlegel.

Schlegel’s design incorporates elements of the American flag, with a background of red and blue and three white stars—one for each K9 dog the department has had since launching in 2018: Barry, Fala, and Luna, who died in the fall of 2019 due to multiple organ failure.

The new design, which will adorn the department’s t-shirts, was unveiled last week.

“I wanted to incorporate something with the American flag, and I knew there were three dogs, so that’s what the stars mean,” said Schlegel, who hails from a military family and is eager to do “anything to support those who serve our communities.”

Schlegel is trained in fine art and graphic design but works as a civilian manager for the Military Science Department on the UW-Stevens Point campus. She won a free t-shirt for submitting the winning design.

“There aren’t a lot of graphic design work opportunities in the area, so I do a lot of freelance,” she said, adding she creates pet portraits when she has the time.

The new K9 t-shirts are available at the SPPD records window for $15. Other merchandise, such as the department’s stuffed dogs, challenge coins, or K9 decals, are also available for purchase.