T. Falls resident honors K-9 unit

Officer Lynn Lanzoni and his K-9 partner Max were honored by local Thompson Falls resident Judy Ripka with handmade gifts and a personal poem she wrote about police officers and the job they do serving and protecting the community, titled "A Policeman's Uniform." Ripka made two quilts for Max and a raincoat to help keep him dry and warm on rainy days. Lanzoni was honored with a personal copy of the original poem that Ripka had framed.

Ripka and her husband moved to Thompson Falls one year ago from Edinburg, Texas. Ripka had a successful dog clothing store called The Doggy Du Shoppe and earned the nickname "The Dog Mom" by those who knew her. While in Edinburg, Ripka was also involved with the K-9 unit and would make quilts for the dogs. Ripka's passion is dogs and she sought to help the local animal shelter TRACS as soon as she got settled in, donating 95 handmade dog sweaters to the shelter. The sweaters work great for the smaller breed dogs in the Montana winters. Ripka then sought out the K-9 unit and got in touch with Lanzoni with the desire to donate more items.

She wanted to make Max comfy blankets to relax on after his day on the job. "They serve our community and I just wanted to do something nice for both of them," Ripka said. She found her passion creating clothes for dogs and with a profound respect for law enforcement, Ripka was able to combine them both. Ripka originally wrote her poem in the summer of 1972 and it also sits in the Congressional Library of Congress in Washington D.C.

Her inspiration was to shine a light on the brave men and women who have dedicated their lives to law enforcement. Ripka believes that every little bit helps and that is one of the main reasons that Ripka chooses to make her handmade products and donate them to the K-9 departments, honoring both the officers and the canine officers as well.

Ripka spent her professional career in Minnesota and then she and her husband decided to make the move to sunny Texas for retirement. It was a good fit for a while, but the constant hot weather and the hustle and bustle of city life encouraged the move to Thompson Falls. Making the move up to Thompson Falls meant that she and her husband would be starting over. Living in a tent while they built their home, they found the perfect property on Silcox Lane north of Thompson Falls. The property was mostly flat when they first started but Ripka got right to work planting trees and putting in a garden on the property.

Ripka is in the process of branching out and possibly expanding her business and she has reserved a booth for the Huckleberry Festival later this summer. If you are interested in browsing her catalogue or getting in touch with Ripka, she can be reached at (406) 827-4546.