Greenbelt police K9 Ollie joins Hero Dogs 5K9 in Washington, D.C.

Greenbelt police K9 Ollie spent part of the weekend at Congressional Cemetery, but his appearance at Hero Dogs’ 6th Annual 5K9 was about more than a cheerful crowd scene. For Prince George’s County, it put a local police dog in the middle of a regional fundraiser that supports service dogs for veterans and first responders with disabilities, a mission that carries real public value beyond the photo op.

Hero Dogs held the event Saturday, May 16, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Registration opened at 7 a.m. and the race started at 8 a.m. The program included both a 5K run and a 1K fun run, and all in-person finishers received medals. Sponsors listed for the race included Life in MoCo, Livewell Animal Hospital, RBC Wealth Management, Maryland Gold Star Mothers, Veronique & Amit Singh, Glickman | Design Remodel Build, and Key Financial Group.

The nonprofit serves the greater Washington, D.C. region and says it places service dogs with veterans of the U.S. military and first responders with disabilities at no cost to recipients. It also places facility dogs with qualified clinicians and skilled home companion dogs with veteran and first-responder families. Hero Dogs has said the race has drawn participants from 12 states plus the District of Columbia and raised more than $28,000 in a previous year, a sign that the event has become a meaningful source of support rather than a one-day novelty.

Ollie’s own Hero Dogs profile identifies him as Hero Dogs Captain Brian Scott Agrelius, a male Labrador retriever born Jan. 15, 2023. He is listed as a facility dog at the Greenbelt Police Department, with Lloyd and Pat K. named as his puppy raisers and Kathy & Ray Agrelius as his puppy sponsor. That background matters in Greenbelt, where the police department says it employs 53 sworn officers and 15 support personnel for about 26,000 residents across 6.5 square miles.

The department says it seeks a partnership with the community and emphasizes service, integrity and respect. Ollie’s appearance at a service-dog fundraiser fit that approach, showing how a K9 unit can serve more than enforcement alone. In a county that often sees police in the news for harder reasons, a dog like Ollie gives Greenbelt a softer public face while still tying the department to the work, training and public investment behind its K9 program.