An Esperanza High senior is leading an effort to build a K-9 Memorial Wall to honor four-legged officers that have served the Placentia Police Department and the community.

“This project touched me because I am a huge lover of dogs,” Jay Jones, 17, said. “I wanted to do a project that meant something to me and to others.”

The idea to build the memorial came up when Jones was brainstorming ideas for his Eagle Scout project with Placentia Councilman Craig Green who serves as executive officer for Boy Scout Troop 723 in Placentia.

Jones and a group of volunteers have spent more than 400 hours planning and building a wall with 12 niches, where the ashes of police dogs who have died will be entombed.

The memorial wall, which is in the Placentia Civic Center Plaza next to the Police Department, will have a bronze plaque for each of the department’s five dogs who have died: Nanto, Marko, Jack, Castor and Storm.

The department’s other dogs will be memorialized in the wall after they have died.

“Our police dogs have proven to be invaluable tools: apprehending dangerous criminals, sniffing out illegal drugs, protecting officers and acting as strong deterrents to crime,” said Placentia police Lt. Eric Point, a former K-9 handler.

Jones raised about $1,750 to build the wall and now has a GoFundMe campaign to raise an additional $4,000 for the bronze plaques. So far, he has raised $775. To make a donation, visit: gofundme.com/d76d3f8w. The project needs to be completed by Dec. 10 – his 18th birthday.

“The Police Department fully supports the project and is very appreciative that Jay has chosen the memorial wall as his Eagle Scout project,” Point said.

Contact the writer: 714-704-3709 or desalazar@ocregister.com