How VEST-A-DOG started...
When Donna Morgan of Janesville, Wisconsin was
home one Saturday night watching America’s Most
Wanted, she didn’t think that one segment of one
TV show would change her life.  But it did.

As she watched the TV, in 2005, she saw a story
about a police dog named Kai.  It showed the dog
in training, how he lived with his K-9 handler and
what a nice family dog he was.  He was wonderfully
trained and incredibly loyal.  Then it cut to the dog
being called to a crime scene.  Donna's  first
response was to turn the channel.  But then she
thought, "this is prime time TV, America's Most
Wanted and they only show re-enactments."  Next,
what was being shown was live footage from the
camera on the front of the police squad car.   Kai
was given his command to disarm a man with a
gun.  She thought, "This has to turn out okay".  
But it didn't.
That police dog was shot in the chest by the criminal he was sent to disarm.  He did disarm
the criminal before he died.

Donna, along with every police officer on the video was sobbing for this beautiful animal
that gave his life for his human partner and all of the other officers there.  If only he had
some kind of protection, like his human partner.
The reason America’s Most Wanted aired that terrible
tape was to show the American Public the very real and
serious need for our K-9 Police Officers to have the
same protection against criminals as our human police
officers.  Specifically, police vests that are stab proof as
well as bullet proof.

America’s Most Wanted told the story of Stephanie
Taylor, who founded Vest A Dog in California.  And
Donna knew she was about to embark on a new journey
in her life.

In 1999, eleven-year-old Stephanie Taylor read a story
about a New Jersey police dog named “Solo” who was
killed in the line of duty.  This story, along with the
knowledge that the Associated Humane Society of New
Jersey had raised money to vest their police dogs, gave her the idea to start VEST-A-DOG,
Inc.  Her first dog to be vested would be “Tiko”, the K-9 partner of Oceanside, California
Officer Jim Wall.

At the end of that America's Most Wanted show, there was a phone number to call for
donating to Vest A Dog.  Donna called the number and was surprised to see that no one in
Wisconsin was nominated for a vest and no one was working on vesting dogs in Wisconsin.  
She figured it couldn’t be that hard to get a vest for a dog and probably not that many dogs
needed them, so she’d take on this project herself.  She decided to set her goal to vest all
the K-9 officers in the State of Wisconsin.  She had no idea how big of a project this was.

Donna has worked endless hours researching the number of police dogs in Wisconsin, what
departments they work for, who their handlers are, as well as doing fund raising to get vests
for these dedicated canines.
Donna Morgan with Janesville Police Officer Glen
Hageman and K-9 Karo.
Photo by: Michelle Schmaling, MCS Photography
Click here for the Janesville Gazette story
Since Christmas 2005, Vest a Dog of Wisconsin has
vested dozens of dogs, but there are still almost 200
dogs left to be vested in the state of Wisconsin at this
time.  A slightly larger task than Donna anticipated, but
still, she’s worked endlessly.  Each vest costs $840.00.

After 2-1/2 years, the official, not-for-profit Vest-A-Dog
of Wisconsin  was formed and the 501(c)(3) paperwork
filed in 2007.   Thanks to Attorney Bill Vogt of Janesville who, at no charge, completed the
lengthy & tedious process that made it happen.    Thanks also to John Wickem, Dr. Dean
Peterson, Connie Bush, Amanda Vogt, Keith Cleasby, Eva Rudek, Yvette Pearson, Stacy
Swanson, Linda Gilbertson, Liz Folts, Julie Roberts and  Joan Sevilla for taking on this
wonderful and endless job!