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Protecting
Our Canine Protectors
By Marianne Mancusi
Officer Solo, a canine in Monmouth County, New Jersey, sheriff's
department, always followed orders. When sent to apprehend
a suspect in a building, he licked his owner's face and went
in without hesitation. That was the last time his officer
partner saw him alive. He was shot and killed by the very
suspect he had been told to chase. This story, told in the
American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals newsletter,
brought tears to the eyes of Stephanie Taylor, a 10-year-old
resident of Oceanside, California. "I was really sad," Taylor
remembers. "I don't think an animal should be shot. They're
kind to protect us, so we should protect them too."
Days went
by but the disturbing image of the slain police dog wouldn't
leave her mind. Taylor wanted to do something. She created
fliers, decorated empty Chinese take-out boxes and trudged
to veterinarian offices and pet supply stores all over her
hometown. Her mission was to collect enough money to buy one
bulletproof vest and outfit one canine officer in her community.
According
to the North American Police Dog Association, only about 10
percent of K-9 units in the country have money in their budgets
to buy ballistic wear for their animals. Trained police dogs
are expensive - often costing police departments $1,500 or
more - leaving few available funds for protective vests, which
run from $475 for ballistic protection alone to $650 for ballistic
and stab protection. The vests are manufactured by International
Armor, a company in San Clemente, California. Made out of
the same Du Pont ballistic material used in human bulletproof
vests, they weigh about 3-and-a half pounds and attach with
a three-piece Velcro strap system. Different sizes accommodate
most of the breeds used in police work.
Taylor's
mother worried her daughter was taking on an impossible mission.
"I told her that's a pretty big undertaking for a 10-year-old
to raise $475 dollars," she says. Taylor was not deterred,
and her perseverance soon paid off. Within two weeks she had
raised enough money to buy not just one vest but five - enough
for all of the dogs in the Oceanside police department. From
there, she expanded her mission to include all the dogs in
San Diego County. Donations eventually reached $23,000, and
50 more vests were purchased.
Ali's
Vest
Ali,
a four-year-old Belgian malinois, doesn't look much like a
proud police dog as he rolls over on his side to pose for
a photograph. "Ali, I think has two brain cells," jokes his
partner, Officer David Fernandez of the Oceanside police department.
"Every once in a while those two brain cells meet up, and
he forms an idea. Other than that, he's happy to be stupid.
He goes a million miles an hour - no brains, no worries."
Ali can
thank Taylor for his carefree attitude. He was one of the
first recipients of her crusade. Ali insists on rolling on
his back as Officer Fernandez tries to get him to show off
his outerwear. Still, the goofy police dog doesn't seem to
mind wearing it and Fernandez is glad to have a vest designed
to protect his partner and friend. "Unfortunately, the reason
we have the dogs is so they can go into a bad situation. That
way, you don't have an officer hurt," he says. "Still, I wouldn't
want anything to happen to him, so that's the nice thing about
the vests."
Fernandez
is amazed that someone Taylor's age could be so dedicated.
"When I was 11 years old," he remembers, "my biggest concern
was what was on cartoons, where I was going to play later
that day. I don't know how she gets the energy. I'm sure for
an 11-year-old it must be overwhelming, and to keep on doing
it is just phenomenal."
Rounding
Up the Troops
A year after Taylor began her crusade, she has outfitted more
than 600 dogs throughout the country. "I'm very surprised
it has gone this far," she admits. "I remember in the beginning
I didn't even think we'd get enough money for one vest."
The best
part of her crusade, according to Taylor, is getting mail
from kids throughout the country. Inspired that someone their
own age could make such a difference, children and their schools
in 18 different states have created their own local Vest-A-Dog
programs. Taylor encourages these groups and has sent out
more than 700 free information packets to help others get
started. Her goal is to eventually outfit every police dog
in America. Right now, she can barely keep up with the requests,
usually submitted by the dog's human officer partners. More
than 100 dogs are on a waiting list for vests.
Taylor
spends a large portion of her time working for her cause.
Aside from answering all her e-mail, which can reach a hundred
messages a day, Taylor makes regular media appearances. Each
donation receives a personal thank you note from the 11-year-old
crusader. "When it became so big, we were a little shocked
by the media attention," admits her mother. "So Stephanie
made it clear to me and to others that her school work came
first and anything else - TV shows, media - they have to come
second. So I've left it up to her and if it becomes too overwhelming,
then we just don't do it. I still want her to be a kid."
Mom doesn't
need to worry about her daughter's priorities. She has maintained
a straight A grade point average in school so she can become
a veterinarian when she grows up. If you or your child would
like information on how to start a Vest-A-Dog program in your
area, you can write to Stephanie Taylor at: Vest-A-Dog, 3529
Cannon Road, Suite 2-B-342, Oceanside, CA 92056. Visit her
on the Internet at www.vestadog.com and e-mail her at dogvest@n2.net.
She will send you an informational packet with tips on getting
started, including how to get a demo vest (without the ballistic
material inside) to display in your fund-raising efforts as
well as how to order the vests from International Armor. Vest-A-Dog
is now a 501©3 charity and accepts direct tax-deductible donations.
MARIANNE
MANCUSI is a freelance writer and full-time television news
producer in San Diego.
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