NORTH MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - With an increase in violence against police officers, K-9 police officers are treated no different, which is why one non-profit has donated bulletproof vests to the North Miami Beach Police Department’s K-9 unit.
According to North Miami Beach Police, the K-9 unit received a donation of five brand-new ballistic vests, Tuesday afternoon, that will protect their furry partners.
“In today’s world, officers across the country are experiencing an increase in violence against officers,” read a statement from the department. “Police K-9s are an extension of our families and we must protect them like we would any other officer on the street.”
The donation is thanks to Protect the Paws, a non-profit organization run by four women who raise funds in order to donate bulletproof vests to police K-9s across South Florida.
According to Protect the Paws, the organization was founded in 2011 after reading an article about a young child who, in lieu of birthday presents, asked family and friends to donate towards a bulletproof vest for a police K-9. Since then, the women of “Protect the Paws” have made it their mission to keep police K-9s protected, just as their handlers are.
The fund has donated over 1,600 vests throughout the country, according to the organization.
For more information about Protect the Paws or to donate, please visit http://www.protectthepaws.org/
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