Dogs, Cats and Other People -- Worth The Investment

By Matthew "Uncle Matty" Margolis

It is hard to determine the exact number of K-9s in police service in the United States, but most estimates are about 15,000, including bomb- and drug-sniffing dogs. Many of these brave canines lay their lives on the line every day, without hesitation, protecting you and their human partners. Unfortunately, as many as 50 percent, or 7,500, of these brave and reliable dogs go unprotected, without the vital bulletproof and stabproof vests they should be wearing when on duty. It is sad that the municipalities that benefit from K-9 units do not allocate the money for their police departments to buy such protective gear. In many cases, the handler has to purchase the vest for his dog. Each protective vest costs about $600 to $700. Considering the cost of these superior dogs, and the cost to train the dogs and their handlers, it doesn't make sense to leave them unprotected. There is something you personally can do.

Recently, one of my clients in Glendale, Calif., set the example. He found out that the K-9 units of the local police force had no protective vests for their dogs. This caring supporter of the work K-9 units do in that community wanted to give back, and he did so by outfitting his local police department's dogs with special protective vests. Now, the four-legged officers of this Southern California police department can go to work with a much better chance of surviving each day.

If you are looking for a worthy cause, this is it. I urge you, as well as schools, clubs, churches and any group you belong to with the ability to raise money, to consider doing so to benefit your canine cops. Bake sales, car washes and lemonade stands have a real hope of attracting customers this summer.

A popular local restaurant in our community invites celebrity guests to bartend for worthy causes. I was happy to do so not long ago to benefit the canine core in my neck of the woods. If you own a business, donating a percentage of your sales for a weekend, or a week, is another option.

Pick up the phone and check with your local police department to see if they have a K-9 unit. Ask if they have protective vests for their dogs and how you might contribute. They will appreciate it more than you can possibly imagine. You might also consider what my client did, and purchase one or more vests. Of course, you should check with the K-9 handlers regarding their requirements. The first company to make protective on-duty vests for dogs is International Armor. You can get more information about their products at www.internationalarmor.net/k9.

If you plan to travel to Connecticut between now and August 27, or to Texas between October 1 and the end of the year, you should plan to visit a very special exhibit entitled "Best in Show: Dogs In Art from the Renaissance to the Present." The exhibit will be at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Conn., and at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. The program boasts high artistic standards and reveals the major social and cultural interests of Western civilization over the last 500 years as related to dogs.

You will see about fifty of the most provocative and significant paintings, sculptures and photographs of dogs ever created, by such artists as Paulus Potter, Sir Edwin Henry Landseer, Andrew Wyeth and Lucien Freud. From the nobility and drama of the hounds of the hunt depicted by Renaissance and Baroque artists, to the luxury of Rococo lap dogs and the pampered pet of the Impressionists, this is an exhibit of elegance and wit.

Woof! And be safe.

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