Chris Darcy enjoys animals, but is not a dog fanatic. In his mind, it’s just a matter of right is right.
“This is just the ethical thing to do, to put protection on those who are protecting us,” said Darcy, a Tahoma High School senior who is raising money to purchase protective vests for some of Washington’s K9 officers.
Darcy’s idea to help began with a trip to the Air Force Academy, where he watched a demonstration of protective service dogs. The power and grace he saw in the animals, mixed with the precarious nature of the job itself, spurred the teenager to action. Darcy said he found that the Renton Police Department’s dog officers did not have vest protection and decided a fundraiser would be a way to give back.
“The fact that they don’t have protection like a human police officer is kind of disturbing,” he said.
Darcy started with the goal of raising $950 to purchase one vest for a Renton K9 officer. Instead, Darcy’s Crowdrise website shows nearly full funding for four K9 officers — two with the Renton Police Department and two more with the Seattle Police Department. Darcy’s fundraising will continue through Halloween, with the possibility of adding an additional K9 officer to the effort if more funds come in.
“The fact that I am now approaching my fourth vest is unbelievable,” he said. “It’s actually kind of humbling that people are willing to donate the amount that they have for service dogs.”
Darcy is working in conjunction with Vested Interest in K9s, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping provide ballistic vests to K9 officers around the country. The nonprofit said it has donated more than 1,100 vests since it started in August 2009.
Sandy Marcal, founder of the nonprofit, said budget constraints typically force K9 vests to be funded through private sponsors. Marcal said the organization once had a 5-year-old boy raise money for the cause.
“There’s a lot of dog lovers,” she said. “Thankfully so.”
Finding money for four-legged officers is not always an easy process. Darcy started collecting donations at a community event, making pitches for two hours. The result: $23.
“We definitely started off slower than we are now, that’s for sure,” Darcy said.
The King 5 TV station offered Darcy the break he needed, inviting he, Renton K9 officer Titan and his handler Officer Chris Greenwade, along with Kelly Kammeraad, a representative for Vested Interest, onto the station’s morning show. The donations took off shortly after, reaching more than $3,500 as of Oct. 6.
Darcy said many of the donations are dedications from people who have lost a pet in the past.
Beyond providing a critical service for the community, Marcal said the service dogs are a “partner and family member for the officer.”
“They are valued in the community,” she said. “They belong to the officer and community.”
The Renton K9 officers who will receive the vests are named Fedor and Titan. Officer Cassidy Steed, partners with Fedor, who came from Czechoslovakia and only the commands in Czech.
To become certified, K9’s and their handlers must complete a 400 hour training academy — with the animals learning how to track human scent, protect their handlers and take down suspects.
Although not every interaction is as precarious as the ones depicted in the 1980s classic “Turner and Hooch,” Marcal said the lightweight vests are “like a secondary skin” that help protect against bullets and knives, as well as blunt and sharp objects.
Each dog vest is custom fit for the animal because ill-fitted vests can actually inhibit their movements. Marcal said there is no national database that tracks the number of K9 officers with protective vests.
Darcy said he hopes to coordinate with the Renton officers so that he can watch a live training exercise. He’s even open to being the mock bad guy, affixed with a bite sleeve on his arm, if he’s allowed.
“That would be pretty cool,” he said. “To experience firsthand what they are capable of — just to see how powerful they really are would definitely contribute to my respect and admiration for the service dogs.”
