Habersham County Sheriff’s K9 Officer Ador (left) and two of his K9 pals will be safer on the job now, thanks to a generous donation. The Georgia Police K9 Foundation recently announced that K9s Ador, Asgart, and Roxy will be outfitted with Armored LOF StreetFighter vests.
The soft body armor vests will be custom-made to fit each K9. They’ll provide ballistic and edged weapon protection for major vital organs and allow the animals to move freely, the foundation says. The vests are designed so that the K9s can wear them for a full shift, even in Georgia’s heat and humidity.
The Habersham County Sheriff’s Office says it’s grateful for the donation.
“These K9 work and live with the handlers on a daily basis,” says HCSO Lt. Matthew Wurtz. He says they develop a bond, so, “to ensure their safety and helping with their protection is like protecting a member of their family.”
That bond was evident in 2016 when HCSO K9 Handler Deputy Eugene Kemp lost his partner, Falco, in a fire. The outpouring of grief and support from law enforcement and the community showed the depth of appreciation people have for the work that these dogs and their handlers do.
Kemp now handles 3-year-old Roxy, a German Shepherd that serves as an Explosive Detection K9 in Habersham. Ador and Asgart serve dual roles as Patrol and Narcotics K9s. Their handlers are Deputy Jason East and Deputy Johnathan Thomas, respectively.
While highly trained, K-9 lives are at stake as much if not more than their human counterparts. K-9 Officers are trained to subdue a suspect until the suspect can be taken into custody. They also can be trained to search for narcotics, including cocaine, marijuana, crystal meth and heroin, and more than a dozen explosive odors.
The Prissy and Andy Armstrong Trust paid for the vests.
“It is very humbling to have someone donate the vest for our K-9s,” says Habersham Sheriff Joey Terrell. “The dogs and the handlers do a great job of protecting our community and helping locate lost and missing people, as well as locating firearms and explosives.”
Helping hand
The Prissy and Andy Armstrong Trust is named for Metro Atlanta architect Andy Armstrong and his beloved Beagle, Prissy. To date, the Trust has funded more than $50,000 in protective vests and $3,000 in heat alarms to assist with Georgia’s law enforcement K9 units.
If you’d like to get involved in supporting the safety of K9 officers, please contact the Georgia Police K9 Foundation through their website at GPK9F.org.
You may mail your tax-deductible donations to Georgia Police K9 Foundation, 28 East Main Street, Statesboro, GA 30458.
