VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – K-9s with the Virginia Beach Police Department do the same dangerous work as the men and women who wear the badge.
Will Ahern is a Master Patrol officer who handles Bear, a Belgian Malinois assigned to patrol and S.W.A.T work. Ahern said Bear is often put in harm’s way; “we ask these dogs to go into dangerous places a lot of times instead of putting an officer into that dangerous spot.”
On Thursday Bear and a German Shepard named Jager were given ballistic vests. Each vest costs $2,500 and is made of material that has saved dogs’ lives in the past.
Officers said older vests were not fitted for the dogs and they were too bulky to allow full movement as the K-9 did their job.
The K-9 unit in Virginia Beach is made up of 15 dogs in all. 2 have vests, 2 have been fitted for vests and 11 more still need to be suited up.
Spike’s K-9 Fund along with the Virginia Beach Police Foundation helped fund the 2 existing vests and private citizens and businesses have stepped up to protect the other dogs.
Ahern said Bear is his partner in fighting crime, but also his friend. “There is not one handler here who ever wants to see their dog get hurt or injured but it’s something that may happen. We know that we are putting them into dangerous spots, but you bring them home with you and they have that ‘pet feeling’ so it is to have that extra comfort of the vest it’s nice.”
For more information on the vests and to donate you can go to the links below:
http://spikesk9fund.org/
http://vbpolicefoundation.org/
