Sean M. Walsh: Santa Clara foundation holds 10th K-9 fundraiser to honor fallen soldier

Sean M. Walsh K9 Memorial Foundation fundraiser

Sean Walsh always dreamed of becoming a police officer and K9 handler, but that dream was cut short after he was killed while deployed in Afghanistan.

SAN JOSE, Calif. - The 10th annual fundraiser for "Sean's K-9s" will be held on Saturday in San Jose to honor the memory of a fallen soldier.

Cheryl Walsh created the foundation in 2011 after her 21-year-old son, Sean Walsh, died in Afghanistan as a military police soldier that same year. He was deployed to Afghanistan, as part of "Operation Enduring Freedom."

Her son had always been interested in law enforcement, as far back as being a Santa Clara Police Explorer as a teenager.

Cheryl Walsh said her son had always aspired to be a police officer with a K-9 partner. But he never got to achieve that goal before his death.

"Just like my son, every handler, it's their dream," Cheryl Walsh told KTVU on Wednesday. "I knew what his dream was, it was an easy way to honor his memory."

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So far, Cheryl Walsh said her organization has donated 43 dogs to police departments, including Petaluma, San Leandro, and Santa Clara.

Cheryl Walsh has kept connected to the Santa Clara Police Department.

In fact, Police Chief Patrick Nikolai joined her at KTVU to hand her an honorary police badge.

"This furthers Sean's legacy," he said. "He gave his life for this country, and you can't put a price on that and this is just a small token to show that at Santa Clara, Sean is a part of our family."