K-9 Rudy is getting his house.

Thanks to a $250 donation from Double K, the Austin Police Department can now purchase a kennel for the department’s newest K-9 officer. It’s a continued partnership between the APD and Double K.

“[Kyle Klaehn] has been great to us over the years,” said Lt. Matt Holton Wednesday, outside Double K.

The kennel is for Rudy, K-9 partner for officer Derek Ellis. The duo will eventually replace Holton and his K-9 partner Sonic, who will be retiring next year.

Holton will then move back to being a regular police officer.

“The city has been trying to get donations as an alternate means to defray budget costs,” Holton said. “It’s nice. We don’t have the budget like St. Paul.”

The kennel will be built onto Ellis’ garage and be part of both an inside/outside housing for Rudy.

Having this kind of set-up also falls in line with how the police department feels in regards to taking care of their dogs.

Holton said in some places it’s enough to simply go home and put the dog in the kennel.

“We don’t necessarily believe that’s the best way to raise a dog,” Holton said. “It needs to be part of the family.”

The effort to help the police department is a no-brainer for Klaehn who has stepped up for the K-9 patrols often to help.

“My position is, it’s not only good for the community, but it’s good for the officers,” Klaehn said. “It’s just about giving back to the community.”

“We’ve seen some amazing animals in the city and county with their staffs,” Klaehn continued. “This is helping the four-legged officers making the two-legged officers and community safer.”

Ellis said Rudy is getting closer to being narcotics certified and is just under a year away from bite certification. For him, it’s just another chance to bond with Rudy.

“It’s nice bringing your pal to work,” Ellis said. “It’s a lot of work, but payoff is fun.”