WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) - The Black Hawk County Sheriff’s department’s newest police dog will soon have his own protective vest thanks to a roughly $2,000 donation.
Dan and Teresa Kalianov decided to donate after they heard about a case last summer when a K-9 named Jarvis and his handler, Deputy Chad Chase, were chasing someone who had a gun, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports (https://bit.ly/2hHfPgW ).
The couple’s financial adviser is Chase’s wife. They also are related to Capt. Rick Abben, who worked with the department’s first K-9, Buck, before the dog died in 2003.
Teresa Kalianov said she and her husband wanted the dog to have the kind of protection police officers have.
“We wouldn’t send police out without some type of protection,” she said, adding that the same should apply for police dogs.
Jarvis is a 3-year-old mix of a golden retriever and yellow Labrador who has been with the department since August 2015. He was originally trained to be a service dog before being converted to a law enforcement dog because of his energy and drive.
Jarvis’ vest has been ordered through a nonprofit called Vested Interest in K9s Inc. It should be ready in about two months.
“I think it’s great,” said Abben, Buck’s handler. “It’s protection for the dog. It’s also good the citizens support law enforcement and the dogs. They do play a vital role in what we do.”
The vest will be similar to one worn by the other K-9 in the sheriff’s office and by several dogs in the Waterloo Police Department.
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Information from: Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, https://www.wcfcourier.com
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