K-9 officer receives special bulletproof vest
By Sean MacKinnon
Click here for updates on this story
FLORENCE, Kentucky (WLWT) — Florence Police K-9, a five-year-old German Shepard named Ajax, has a new toy even the strongest dog can’t tear apart.
“Bulletproof, stab-proof vest. So just knowing he’s a little bit safer means the world,” K-9 Handler Officer Blake Burkhardt said.
Burkhardt recently got Ajax the vest through a Massachusetts non-profit, given to Florence Police for free.
“I want to put that vest on him and just make sure he’s as safe as possible,” Burkhardt said.
We caught up with Ajax Wednesday who was in work mode and highly motivated, smelling out crack cocaine hidden in cabinets, performing obedience tasks, and biting down on an officer’s protective arm guard during a drill.
In the real world, the vest protects Ajax’s vital organs from any suspect with a knife or a gun.
“Whether we’re going into a track or a building surge or heading into the woods and look for somebody, because a lot of the guys we’re looking for, they’re either violent offenders or there’s a potential for them to be dangerous,” Burkhardt said.
Ask any K-9 handler: their pup is more than their partner.
“It’s the best job in the world. I couldn’t ask for anything more,” Burkhardt said. “It changed my life. He lives with me. He comes home with me every single day. I’m with him as much as I’m with any other member of my family.”
Now, all four K-9s with Florence Police have these vests, keeping man’s best friend and an officer’s best asset safe.
“I wouldn’t want to go to some of these calls without my vest on. So I feel like I shouldn’t put him in there without his on either,” Burkhardt said.
This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.