Campaign Has Vested Interest in K-9 Officers

If you ask Patricia Burda, no cop should walk the street without a bulletproof vest. Not even the four-legged kind.

Burda, president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Merced, is trying to revolutionize K-9 units across the country by outfitting crime-fighting pooches with body armor.

During the past year, she has been on a campaign, writing letters to dog magazines and other SPCA groups across the country, imploring animal lovers to take up the cause in their own communities.

“I think if they’re trying to protect us, maybe we can give them some protection,” Burda said.

The proposed vests, which range in price from several hundred to over $1,000 each, are much like the vests police officers wear. They cover the torso, protecting the vital organs from gunfire.

She and others argue that police dogs whose job is to sniff out or chase down suspected criminals, often armed and violent, need the vests because they can and do get hurt.

But there is a downside.

Spokesmen for both the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s office and Los Angeles Police Department say they do not strap armor on their dogs because it hampers their performance.

“They’re bulky, they’re heavy and they cause them to overheat,” said Sheriff’s Deputy Bill Martin. “We don’t utilize them.”

Even some dog lovers don’t like the idea.

“We certainly want to save the lives of working animals, but we don’t want to hamper them in any way,” said Mary Brankovic, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles SPCA. “We have in general taken the stand that animals should not be wearing clothing because it’s uncomfortable for them because their body temperature is higher.”

She said body armor would be even harder on the animals because of the weight, and it does not guarantee their safety because it does not protect their heads.

Burda still thinks some protection is better than none. And she’s not alone.

“It would amaze me that San Francisco would get them if they didn’t feel they were going to be able to use them,” Burda said.

After hearing from Burda, the San Francisco SPCA started raising money for the vests last spring. Within days they were flooded with checks exceeding their $10,000 goal. They delivered the vests to the department’s 10 dogs two weeks ago.

“It’s the least we can do for the dogs that put their lives on the line for us every day,” said Lynn Spivak, the group’s spokeswoman.

Sgt. Bob Del Torre, of the San Francisco Police K-9 Unit, says he’s thrilled to have a vest for Bud, his German shepherd. He said they’re not used routinely on patrol, but kept handy and placed on the dog when he may encounter an armed suspect.

“They only weigh 6 pounds. They’re no hindrance at all from what we’ve seen,” Del Torre said. “The dogs depend on us for their safety, and it’s our responsibility to protect them.”

He said that since the spring fund-raiser he has been flooded with calls from police officers across the country inquiring about the vests.

So has Burda. She said that when her organization put on a dog walk to raise money to buy vests for the Merced Police Department’s four dogs it was an overwhelming success.

“We feel really good because we feel we started this, and it’s something we never felt we would accomplish, being such a small group.”