Oceanside CA— On Tuesday evening, Oceanside Police Department K-9 officers Gonzo and Max received bulletproof vests thanks to a grant from the Elks National Foundation (ENF).
The vests were part of a $2,000 grant presented by Greg Koester during a ceremony at the Oceanside Elks Club Lodge.
Mr. Koester said “This was an extremely good project for us. Now the dogs have some protection.” he continued “I have a lot of respect for dogs, especially police dogs. They protect us. Sometimes they get a bad rap. I don’t think it’s right or fair but it does happen.”
The cost of the two vests was $1,759.00 with the remainder of the grant going to buy food for Gonzo and Max.
So far this year in the United States, two K-9 officers have been killed by gunfire in the line of duty.