Community helps get protective vest for K-9

The Zebulon Police Department’s new K-9 officer Boss will receive a protective vest through Vesting America’s Police K-9s thanks to the generosity of the Pike County community. Boss was fitted for the lightweight, bulletproof, stab-resistant vest Dec. 15. Boss is a two and a half year old Belgian Malinois. He is certified in narcotics detection, tracking and apprehension.Vesting America’s Police K-9s started fundraising for Boss’ vest and the community stepped up to pay for it within just hours. AJ&H Services, which contracts with Pike County Schools to provide janitorial services, donated $500 toward the vest. ’My wife Julie and I grew up in Pike County and it’s important for us to be able to give back to Pike County. We want to be able to take care of the community and the kids,’ said Andrew Mauney. Traci Holliday of the non-profit Vesting America’s Police K9s said she has helped almost 20 dogs get protective vests. ’I posted the fundraising link around lunch and the money was raised by dinner time so it took less than a day. It was one of the quickest vest fundraisers we’ve had,’ she said. ‘This is a cause that people can really get behind. It’s important to provide protection for K-9 officers because they are dedicated public servants too.’ For more information, go to facebook.com/GeorgiaVestingK9s.Boss was given to the ZPD by the Pine Mountain Police Department. A specially bred and trained Belgian Malinois like Boss would cost around $12,000 to purchase. Officer Trustin Brazer trained for a month to work with Boss and during that time, he was part of filming for two television shows, The Selection on the History Channel and AMC’s Roll Call. In one scene, he was in street clothes and was attacked by a K-9 for not following an officer’s directions but it was not Boss. In another scene, Officer Brazer and Boss tracked down narcotics during a traffic stop. The Roll Call series will air in January and February.