3-year-old raises money with lemonade stand for police K-9

Photo credit: Germantown Police Department

A 3-year-old Wisconsin girl is doing her part to help the police department in her town get a new K-9. 

The Germantown Police Department wants to add a new K-9 to their unit. The cost is said to be around $13,000, so they are trying to raise community donations.

Little Lainie Stephens' mom told her about the department's goal and Lainie wanted to help. So, she set up a lemonade stand in order to raise money to get the new K-9 on board.

Lainie let up a table with lemonade and two signs: one read "All Proceeds To Benefit Germantown K-9 Unit" and the other informed customers that they could pay what they want.

Word spread about the tiny entrepreneur's mission and pretty soon customers came by in the dozens to donate and grab some lemonade.

Her mother thought Lainie would raise around $30 to $40, but ended up raising $754! She even hand-delivered the donations to the police department.

"Remember 3-year-old Lainie Stephens who set up a lemonade stand to support the GPD K9 Unit last week. Today she stopped by to donate over $700 she collected at the stand," the department wrote on Facebook. "It doesn't get any cuter than that, warms the heart."

In addition to the $13,000 the K-9 will cost, the department also needs a specially equipped police cruiser for the K-9, which increases their goal to around $100,000. The money is funded through community donations.

Lainie and her family have set up a GoFundMe page to help the department reach their goal.