{"id":1833,"date":"2016-07-12T22:28:18","date_gmt":"2016-07-12T22:28:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lbpost.com\/articles\/life\/pets\/vested-interest-providing-modern-protective-gear-for-k-9-officers\/"},"modified":"2016-07-12T22:28:18","modified_gmt":"2016-07-12T22:28:18","slug":"vested-interest-providing-modern-protective-gear-for-k-9-officers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/pets\/vested-interest-providing-modern-protective-gear-for-k-9-officers","title":{"rendered":"Vested Interest: Providing Modern Protective Gear for K-9 Officers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Credo\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Photo of K-9 Officer Credo, courtesy of the Long Beach Police Department.<\/em><\/p>\n

The tragic accidental death of LBPD K-9 Officer Credo (see full story here<\/a>) has elicited waves of sympathy from as far away as Holland and also brought up concerns over providing body armor for police dogs.<\/p>\n

On June 28, Credo, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, was struggling with a knife-wielding suspect who, according to a press release, was armed with a knife and aggressively charging the human police officers. One of the bullets intended for the suspect hit Credo, who later died of his wound despite efforts by veterinarians at the Signal Hill Pet Hospital<\/a>. The suspect was also hit and was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.<\/p>\n

Around 30 officers and several spectators saluted as Credo\u2019s wrapped body, draped in an American flag, was escorted by police from the veterinary and was given an impromptu ceremony. Credo\u2019s handler, LBPD Officer Mike Parcell, was overcome by grief over the loss of his partner.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe relationship that these people build with their canine partners is unbelievable,\u201d said Dana Treitler, who co-owns the pet-sitting service Happy Tails to You<\/a>\u00a0with her life partner, Suzane Pyburn. Treitler previously served in the military in the Air Force Canine Division and said that she has lived the bond between dog and human; she fully understands their importance as well as the dangers they face daily in the line of duty. Treitler and Pyburn were concerned that Credo hadn\u2019t been wearing protective gear and set out to remedy the situation by setting up a GoFundMe page<\/a>\u00a0to help purchase state-of-the-art vests for Long Beach\u2019s canine best.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reaction from Mike Parcel was heart-wrenching\u201d Treitler said. \u201cA fireman puts on his uniform in preparation of a fire response\u2014 the human counterpart to our K-9 officers who each day also put on their protective gear in preparation for duty. The K-9s deserve the same. So I called Suzanne and said, we gotta do this.\u201d<\/p>\n

The GoFundMe page has so far amassed nearly $4,500 to add to the contributions that have been coming in from other groups and individuals to the Long Beach K-9 Officers Association (LBK-9OA)<\/a>, a community-based nonprofit organization that \u201cdoes what the City can\u2019t,\u201d as Association President Steve Ditmars said.<\/p>\n

Initially, Treitler and Pyburn wanted to purchase the vests themselves. They had identified an organization that provides custom-fitted military-grade Kevlar gear that balances flexibility and lightweightedness with protection and offer the dogs protection against the type of wound that caused Credo\u2019s death, Treitler said. However, if and when the gear is purchased, the LBPD will make the final decision. Therefore, Happy Tails to You will submit all funds collected by the fund-raising page to the LBK-9OA.<\/p>\n

\"bulletblocker-nij-iiia-bulletproof-k9-standard-vest-18\"<\/p>\n

Example of a protective vest for K-9. This one is manufactured by BulletBlocker<\/a>\u00a0and is not necessarily being considered by the LBPD.<\/em><\/p>\n

The LBK-9OA comprises volunteers who fundraise for the K-9 officers\u2019 needs. Ditmars said that they\u2019ll purchase the protective gear for the K-9 officers, should the department decide they want it.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, there\u2019s been a lot of interest in the vests,\u201d Ditmars said. \u201cPeople want to help, and I certainly don\u2019t want to discourage people or hurt their feelings, so we would ask that all donations be made to the K-9 Association. It\u2019ll be fine to specify it for the vests.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ditmars is a retired K-9 handler and sergeant who signed up for volunteerism with the LBK-9OA after he left the department. \u201cThis is a time for me to give back,\u201d he said. \u201cLong Beach is a dog-lovers\u2019 city, and tragedies like this reinforce why I was a canine officer. So I\u2019m going to be really busy for a while, but it\u2019s why I signed up to do this\u2014and I enjoy being around the dogs.\u201d<\/p>\n

The LBK-9OA also assists with the purchase of the highly trained K-9 officers, which can run in the thousands of dollars. Ditmars said that a new officer will indeed be needed now that Credo is gone.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cI hope we can help with the underfunding,\u201d Treitler said.<\/p>\n

Ditmars agreed with Treitler\u2019s assessment of the vests.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey do make better ones now, but they\u2019re upward of $3,500 per dog,\u201d he said. \u201cThe officers probably have something in mind that\u2019s specific, so instead of buying the product, we\u2019ll buy it for them. It will have to fit well so that you have less of an issue with snagging, and be as lightweight as possible, with a level of protection up to a certain bullet. After that, it\u2019s no longer guaranteed. The best compromise would be between weight and ballistic protection. If we\u2019re going to buy equipment for the dogs, we\u2019re going to buy the best product we can afford, and we\u2019ll figure out a way to afford it. I want them to be as safe and good as possible, because I don\u2019t want to see this happen again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cmdr. Don Wood of the LBPD Field Support Division, who heads the Service Dog Unit, said that putting the vests on the dogs is up to the nature of the mission and that the dogs are deployed only at the handlers\u2019 discretion. The vests that the department presently has, he said, offer as many problems as benefits.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re looser on a dog than the human equivalent,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen dogs have been deployed under a house or a porch, there have been instances when the vests were caught on a hook or something else. The vest could also be grabbed onto by the suspect. And because it was around 95 degrees outside [the day of Credo\u2019s death], the dog may have overheated and it probably wouldn\u2019t have been effective. The ballistic vest would not have stopped a knife, either. When someone has an edged weapon, it could cut right through it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wood said that new models of gear are continually being developed and that the department is looking at other options to see if there is something better for use in tactical operations.<\/p>\n

\u201cCost is a factor, as is the size of the dog being fitted,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Credo\u2019s death has been emotional for the entire LPBD, as well as civilian animal lovers and advocates.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone at the animal hospital was shaken and emotional because of this,\u201d said Wood, who is an animal lover himself and owns two St. Bernards rescued from the Sunny Saints rescue\u00a0in Bellflower<\/a>. \u201cIt was very difficult for me, seeing Officer Parcells\u2014he spent more time with Credo as his own family. It\u2019s a loss when they pass away, but to see this happen\u2014it was so sudden. But Credo\u2019s actions definitely saved the life of at least one if not two police officers. There\u2019s no doubt in my mind that the officers would have been injured or killed.\u201d<\/p>\n

People who mourn the death of Credo and other K-9 used in police work, military combat and other potentially dangerous areas may question why dogs would be subjected to work in which they could be injured or lose their lives. Ditmars said that he understands the question and where it comes from.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe dogs do some things better than we do,\u201d he said. \u201cThey use the nose to find things we\u2019d never find\u2014drugs, lost people\u2014and they help get the bad guys off the street. But it\u2019s really hard to explain or justify it. You don\u2019t go out there with the idea that your dog is going to get hurt. I don\u2019t really have a great answer for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ditmars\u2019 K-9 partner, Osko, had been shot in the face during a SWAT takedown and required seven surgeries and six months of recovery before he returned to work.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe hated staying home,\u201d Ditmars said. \u201cThat\u2019s the funny thing about it\u2014they love the work! The bond between a handler and a dog\u2014pet lovers get it, but it\u2019s more than that. You go out there together, as a team. And so this [Credo\u2019s death] is personal for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ditmars thanked the community for their support and requested that anyone wishing to donate to the LBK-9OA visit this page\u00a0<\/a>and click the donation button at the bottom.<\/p>\n

The public is also invited to attend Credo\u2019s memorial service<\/a>,\u00a0which takes place Wednesday, July 20 at 1:00PM at the LBPOA Park, located at 7390 East Carson Street at the Long Beach Towne Center behind Lowe\u2019s hardware store. People are asked not to bring their own dogs to the service.<\/p>\n

\u201cDogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe, we are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

~ Roger Caras, wildlife photographer and animal advocate<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The tragic accidental death of LBPD K-9 Officer Credo\u00a0has elicited waves of sympathy from as far away as Holland and also brought up concerns over providing body armor for police dogs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":67210,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","inline_featured_image":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_":"","_author_alias":"","cap-aim":"","cap-description":"","cap-display_name":"","cap-first_name":"","cap-jabber":"","cap-last_name":"","cap-linked_account":"","cap-newspack_employer":"","cap-newspack_job_title":"","cap-newspack_phone_number":"","cap-newspack_role":"","cap-user_email":"","cap-user_login":"","cap-website":"","cap-yahooim":"","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_email_html":"","newspack_email_type":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_hide_page_title":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_show_share_buttons":"","newspack_sponsor_byline_prefix":"","newspack_sponsor_disclaimer_override":"","newspack_sponsor_flag_override":"","newspack_sponsor_only_direct":"","newspack_sponsor_url":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[920],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-1833","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pets","tag-body-armor","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1833","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1833"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1833\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67210"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1833"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1833"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1833"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=1833"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=1833"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}