Investing in Galt K-9
Police dog gets new ballistics vest that is lightweight
GALT — The Galt Police Department recently received a new piece of equipment aimed at providing both protection and comfort to one of its officers.
Cover Your K-9 and Foothills K-9 Association this week donated a new ballistics vest to Galt K-9 Kane.
Lt. Richard Small, a spokesman for the department, said the vest is made of Kevlar — like previous vests worn by both human officers and their canine colleagues — but weighs just 4 pounds, allowing Kane to wear his new armor for an entire shift.
“Kevlar tends to be heavy, and with this new technology, he can wear it without any problems,” Small said.
The vest also allows heat to escape, keeping Kane cool during the hot summer months and on working days that can last up to 10 hours.
With the old vest, Small said K-9 Officer Mike Little would typically suit Kane up prior to responding to a high-risk incident due to the equipment’s weight.
Now, Kane can start his shift in the vest and wear it even when responding to scene merely to take a report, he said.
Cover Your K-9 and Foothills K9 Association are nonprofit organizations dedicated to providing police dogs with equipment and training that will keep them protected in the line of duty.
Small said the department has worked with both organizations in the past to make sure Galt’s K-9 units receive the latest state of the art protection equipment to keep them safe in the field.
“Kane took to (the new vest) right away,” he said. “Sometimes it can be a bit of an adjustment when animals — even human officers — get new armor. But Kane adapted really well and was ready to go almost immediately after he got it on.”
For more information about Cover Your K-9 or Foothills K9 Association, visit www.coveryourk9.com or www.foothillsk9.org.