The Can-Am 250 champion will receive the Preacher Medal and select one of their own sled dogs to receive the honor.
FORT KENT, Maine — The Can-Am Crown International Sled Dog Race is honoring a fallen Maine State Police K-9 with a new award recognizing loyalty and perseverance along the race’s 250-mile route.
K-9 Preacher, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, was killed Feb. 4, 2025, after being shot during a standoff in Portage Lake while protecting his handler, Sgt. Jonathan Russell and other officers. The incident deeply affected the Portage community, where the Can-Am 250 race passes each winter and has a checkpoint near where Preacher was killed.
In the wake of Preacher’s death, a group of Portage residents and Can-Am volunteers created the K-9 Preacher Award to honor the qualities the police dog displayed in the line of duty, including dedication, loyalty, and perseverance. The award will become an annual part of the Can-Am 250, the race wrote in a social media post.
Each year, the Can-Am 250 champion will receive the Preacher Medal and select one of their own sled dogs to receive the honor, symbolically carrying Preacher’s legacy forward along the race trail.
Race organizers said the award serves as a lasting tribute to Preacher’s service and the bond between working dogs and the people who rely on them.
This year’s Can-Am Crown International Sled Dog Race starts Feb. 28 in Fort Kent. Click here for more information about the event.
Preacher was partnered with Sgt. Jonathan Russell, who described the dog as more than a working partner—he was a guardian and teammate. The two were paired after Preacher was rescued from a shelter in 2022.
On Feb. 3, 2025, Preacher was deployed during a standoff in Portage, where police say Steven Righini had barricaded himself inside a home with a weapon and a baby. When Righini fled on foot, Russell sent Preacher to apprehend him. Police said Righini pulled a gun and shot the dog.
Preacher was rushed to a veterinary clinic but died during transport to a trauma facility.
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