APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV)- A generous act in the loving memory of an eight-year-old who was gone too soon is helping the Appleton Police Department in a very big way.

Recently, the APD K-9 unit received thousands of dollars in donations from the Emma loves Dog Foundation to help replace the station’s recently departed K-9 unit, Faro.

The Foundation was founded by 8-year-old Emma Merten’s parents of Hartland. They started it to honor their daughter who lost her battle to brain cancer in November of 2019.

The young girl was described as having a huge passion for animals, especially dogs. She also loved helping others, so much that Emma would ask for others to donate to local animal shelters as birthday gifts for her.