Zebulon nonprofit donates bulletproof vests for K-9s
Mona Pants Foundation raises funds to purchase K9 Officers protective gear for law enforcement departments all over the United States.
Posted — UpdatedA group of K-9s graduated from training, each leaving with a ballistic vest to protect them on the job.
Kathy Williams has coordinated the giveaway of over 100 vests.
"It's something nobody has the budget for. They aren't cheap," she said.
The foundation saw that many eastern North Carolina police departments and sheriff's offices were unable to provide protection on their own.
"We started reaching out to departments that couldn't afford vests, and we started buying them," she said.
Williams said the foundation provides vests, first-aid kits, pet oxygen kits and masks for free.
“Those dogs wouldn’t be protected if it wasn’t for the foundation," she said.
"It's a heavier piece of equipment, so you can't just throw it on your dog and expect it to go on as its used to. You have to take time to acclimate them to the vest," Hayes said.
Hayes said part of his courses is dedicated to preaching safety.
"You can see success stories where dogs have been attacked, and the vests have stopped it and kept the dog alive," he said.
He was accidentally shot while tracking a suspect into the woods in Knightdale. The Wake County Sheriff's Office said, "All of our apprehension canines do have a vest."
Department policy limits vest use to when K-9s are tracking violent offenders or in high-risk incidents, because the weight of the vest wears dogs out. Individual handlers decide – based on their training and experience – when their dog needs a vest, the department said.
Hayes said the vests can make the difference between life and death.
"Our vests don't cover every inch of our body, and these certainly don't for the dogs either, but when it comes to the important areas, they do," Hayes said.
One vest at a time, Williams said her commitment is to ensure that every department has the vests it needs.
"Many of them tell me they wouldn't have one if we didn't buy them for them," Williams said.
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