6 Bulletproof Vests Donated To San Francisco Police Department's K-9 Unit
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS)— The San Francisco police department has received a donation of six Kevlar bulletproof vests for its canine patrol and tactical units.
The new vests were demonstrated Wednesday at Treasure Island and have already been proven to save the lives of other K-9 dogs statewide.
"These vests will keep our dogs alive in case they're shot or stabbed," said Sgt. Ron Banta of the SFPD tactical K-9 unit.
Banta along with other K-9 teams behind him accepted the vests by the non-profit police and working-dog foundation.
"They're similar to the vests that the cops wear, but as you can see they're a custom fit, they say police on the side. They're readily available for us to put on the dogs whenever we feel the dogs are going into any type of dangerous situations," Banta said.
The dogs are said to be equipped to handle situations where a person is armed with a gun, where shots are fired, or to help with SWAT support.
6 Bullet-Proof Vests Donated To San Francisco Police Department's K-9 Unit
The vests cost $1,300 a piece. The money comes from the foundations annual fundraiser at Pet Food Express stores.
President and co-founder of the Police and Working K-9 Foundation, Louise Tully, said the vests come with a special medical pack.
"If a canine is shot or stabbed or has some other bleeding injury, they can give them aid immediately," Tully said.
The vests are set to go into service immediately.
