06 Apr
K-9 Bak with vest donated from CK9A
Two K-9 police dogs have been provided bulletproof vests and another is on the waiting list for his protective gear.”K-9 Bak is one of three Bordentown Township K-9s that we have vested,” said Mike Lucchesi, vice president of Capital K-9 Association said. “The third K-9, who recently finished patrol school, is on our current recipient list.”K-9 Officer Chris Burns’ K-9 Bak and K-9 Officer Nate Rohr’s K-9 Kiru received their vests in 2012 and 2013, respectively. K-9 Officer Kevin Guire’s K-9 Boston is waiting to be fitted with a vest.
“Our goal has been to provide ballistic body armor to working police K-9s throughout the country,” Mr. Lucchesi said.
Capital K-9 Association will be hosting an event at Chickie’s & Pete’s, located at 183 US Highway 130, on Oct. 12 to raise funds for K-9 Boston.”The funds raised at this event will be used to provide this K-9 with a bulletproof vest,” he said.
The Capital K-9 Association is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 2011 in Roebling.”We work very hard to promote a positive image of K-9 and educate law enforcement and the general public on the importance of K-9, and K-9 safety in modern policing,” he said. “Through our fundraising efforts, we have been successful in outfitting nearly 40 K-9s throughout the country.”The organization has funded vests for three Trenton Police K-9s, all four Ewing Police K-9s, two Mercer County Sheriff’s Department K-9s, both of the Westampton and Eastampton Police Departments K-9s, and all eight of the Morris County Sheriff’s Department K-9s.Each vest costs around $850 and is custom fit for each K-9, he said.
The Capital K-9 Association held a Cruise Night fundraiser at the Texas Road House in Hamilton on Aug. 27.
“Typically, the general public is not aware of the need for bulletproof vests for these brave animals,” he said. “We try to promote this awareness to inform people of the need for these dedicated animals to be provided with the same protection that the handler has.”
He noted that it’s their hope that through their efforts and the efforts of other organizations like theirs, they can work to minimize the K-9 line of duty deaths throughout the country.
“We have worked very hard to develop a great working relationship with individuals and businesses throughout the area,” he said. “These generous individuals allow us to host events, and donate to our organization on a regular basis.”
First & Ten Sports Bar in Hamilton, Texas Roadhouse in Hamilton, Marrazzo’s Auto Service in Hamilton, Hotrides LLC in Ewing, Hawks Towing & Recovery and Hawks Auto and Truck Recycling in Trenton, Joe & Son Embroidery amd Screen Printing in Ewing, and Hamilton Pet Meadows in Hamilton are some examples of the businesses that support the organization, he said.
“We have also received generous donations from individuals from around the country who support our organization and believe in our mission,” he said. “We also have a partnership with the Cops & Dogs Calendar. We work alongside the owner of Cops & Dogs and assist in the selection process for the K-9s who appear in the calendar. John Baer, the owner of Cops & Dogs, generously donates a portion of the proceeds of annual calendar sales to The Capital K-9 Association.”