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POSTED: 12:52 pm CDT July 15, 2005
By
Ellen Szalinski
Senior Writer,
Department of Public Affairs and Communications
Children's
Memorial Hospital
2300 Children's Plaza,
Box 40
Chicago,
Illinois 60614
UPDATED: 1:31 pm CDT July 15, 2005
CHICAGO --
Five
Chicago police dogs -- some of them yipping and yapping -- modeled
their newly donated safety vests on Friday.
Axel,
Rex, Mozart, Ranger and Buddy were among 10 canines to be outfitted
with bullet- and stab-resistant vests, donated by the non-profit
group Illinois Vest-A-Dog.
Thirteen more Chicago police dogs were awaiting their vests, which
had been ordered, said Lee Harrison, director of Illinois
Vest-A-Dog, which raises funds to buy the $710 vests for Illinois
law enforcement dogs.
"Canines are more than just an investigation tool. They are
partners," Harrison said at a news conference at Chicago Police
Department Headquarters, 3510 S. Michigan Ave.
Since
early June when the first Chicago police dog, Lakos, received a
vest, thousands of dollars in donations have come in to Vest-A-Dog,
Harrison said.
Around $47,000 has been contributed to the fund since the
organization began two years ago, she said, adding that was "not
nearly enough."
There
are 27 Chicago police dogs that still need a vest, Harrison said.
One of those dogs received funding for a vest Friday.
In
addition to being bullet- and stab-resistant, the vests are only 3½,
allowing the dogs to move freely without hindrance, Harrison said.
The
vests are also Velcro adjustable, so that the vests can fit any dog
weighing between 60 and 100 pounds, she said.
The
Chicago Police Department relies on Illinois Vest-A-Dog to raise the
funds because the department cannot currently afford to do so,
according to police Special Operations Unit Cmdr. Wayne Gulliford.
With
many funds in the department directed at homeland security issues,
keeping Chicago police officers safe, and in training the dogs,
additional money is not available to spend on the vests, Gulliford
said.
Illinois Vest-A-Dog was founded two years ago by Harrison and her
husband, who are both United States Postal Inspectors, according to
a news release from police News Affairs.
Anyone wishing to donate or find more information on the fund may
visit
IVestADog.org.
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