EDUCATION & FAQs

started in 2005

Police K9s

Have saved many lives with their exceptional skills and bravery

They are loyal, watchful, and very protective of their police office counterparts. The dogs chosen for police work are smart, aggressive and strong. Only the best will be chosen.

Police K9s can search an area four times faster than a human.

“What the dogs specialize in are narcotics, bomb, Internet crime against children, cell phone parts, cadaver, public law enforcement & more.”

started in 2005

Police K9s help keep billions of dollars of drugs off our streets.

Dogs have the ability to smell 200 to 400 times greater than that of a human.

Dogs speed
Dogs hearing
Dogs can differentiate between identical twins
Dogs identify by scent first, then voice, then silhouette.
POLICE K9

Breeds of dogs that are typically chosen to be a Police K9?

Here are some Puppies of Different Breeds who grew up to be Wisconsin Police Dogs

German
Shepherds
DUTCH
Shepherds
Belgian
Malinois
Labrador Retrievers
BLOOD
HOUNDS

Police K9s can come from the Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Holland, the Netherlands, and the United States.

Most Police K9s understand their commands in a different language, other than English, like German or Dutch.

Do you have questions? We have answers.

Each vest costs between $1000 and $1400; the exact cost of a vest is dependent on the specific agency equipment standards. Using upscale ballistic material, all K9 vests are made to fit requirements. The requirements are different for each law enforcement agency and the final total cost is indicative of those requirements. First aid field and trauma kits for K9 cost over $350. Each of these items is specifically built and ordered to fit specific agency requirements, and K9 size where applicable.  Even though it’s a bit expensive to get these items, we agree that no price can be placed on the lives they save. The equipment provided by us is of the highest quality, which serves to guarantee a long duration of usability as this equipment effectively holds up to the stress and use it is sure to come under daily. On a constant and regular basis, our equipment is reviewed to make sure only the best is donated. All equipment donated exceeds NIJ standards, and most is military grade.

Law Enforcement K9s are not just dogs; they are highly trained, intelligent, and show impressive technical abilities. Most of them are holders of many certifications which they take tests yearly to earn. As the activities involved with law enforcement become increasingly dangerous, agencies are beginning to rely more on the agility, versatility, speed, stamina, and senses of K9s to keep officers and citizens protected. A trained K9 can come at a cost of between $13k and $18k depending on its breeding, training, special abilities, and health care costs. The investment in a protective vest, heat sensory system and medical kit proves effective in significantly increasing the duration of the K9’s life and ultimately lessens the costs most agencies could incur in the event that a K9 gets injured or killed in the line of duty. Considering how much time and money spent on each dog’s training and care, and the important role they play in the success of agencies, it only makes sense to protect them to ensure their continued service to our community and country.

The total cost of each K9 vest is dependent on what manufacturer decides, not us. Also, the vests are designed in a way that guarantees the maximum protection of your K9. Quality is never compromised. Let us give you a breakdown on why that matters:

Ballistic vests are not all equally designed. Most, if not all, of the cheaper vests only cover the back, and do not protect the chest and abdomen of a K9. Records suggest that most injuries and death related entry points on K9s are in their chest or abdomen. These are the areas that contain the vital organs of a K9, and that is why it is important that the protection of these areas is not handled with levity. Some of these vests only have a chest strip, which mainly serves the purpose of holding the vest together, and not protection. Proper chest protection is comprised via a chest panel. For other vests, they are usually bullet resistant or stab resistant but never both. As it is not possible to tell if the bad guy will have a gun or a knife, proper protection should always be rated as a “combo”(both stab & bullet resistant like ours).

Another factor is weight. Cheaper vests can typically mean they weigh more because they are using old Kevlar. Largely due to the physical activities of most K-9s, a heavy vest is the last thing they need because they simply won’t wear them.

Another important factor is NIJ rating. The National Institute of Justice releases their minimum Kevlar protection ratings every year. These ratings are updated every year to compensate for the constant change in weapons commonly found in use. Using a vest that falls short of these ratings is a waste of time and money, as it won’t protect you or a K-9.  Even when Kevlar vests are not in use, Kevlar fibers break down over time. For this reason, it’s imperative that they are replaced every five years; it is also recommended. Some of the cheaper vests contain old Kevlar, hence cost less. As you can see, there are many important factors that are considered before going ahead with the design of quality K-9 ballistic vests, which is why selecting a vest based on price alone is not advisable.

No, the equipment we provide is not made by us and we do not support the use of “home-made” products. The possibility of lives being at stake isn’t a matter to gamble on, which is why only the use of professionally made and field tested equipment is highly advised. It must all be NIJ certified. This ensures that the qualities of reliability and usefulness are not compromised.

Are you a legally recognized law enforcement K9 handler? If yes, kindly call us at 608-752-3539, or email us at vestadogwisconsin@yahoo.com

This depends on the equipment selected by a K-9 handler and the needed customization for the equipment. To get help from us with finding out your total goal, we recommend you contact us in advance.

You can ask which agency you prefer to donate to if your donation covers the entire cost of an item we provide. Otherwise K-9’s are put on a waiting list and vests are given out on a first come first serve basis.

Depending on what suits you best, you may be able to help lead a fundraising movement at your school, church, or in your local community. Groups needing community service hours can also be included. If you’re interested, do well to email vestadogwisconsin@yahoo.com for more information.

Other local, county, or state K9 divisions give coverage to Police departments which do not have a K9 unit. If your local agency does not have any K9s, then your donation is pooled to make provision of equipment to any K9 unit currently atop the waiting list.

Please contact us to discuss your request. Generally, most states require you to have legal documentation prepared by an attorney naming Wisconsin Vest-A-Dog Inc. as a beneficiary and clearly stating what the donation is meant for. As soon as you get that done, proceed to send us a copy for our records.

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