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Police dogs get bulletproof vests, thanks to church children

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A UMNS photo by John Gordon

Officer Scott Roush and K-9 Chris serve in the Sinton, Texas, police department.
Sept. 29, 2005

By John Gordon*

THE WOODLANDS, Texas (UMNS) - Many fifth- and sixth-graders save their allowances to buy the latest video games or name-brand athletic shoes.

But a youth group from Christ Church United Methodist took on a nobler cause: buying bulletproof vests for Texas police dogs.

"I thought it was a really neat project to do," said Kasey Connor, 11, a member of the FISH (Fellowship In Serving Him) group at the church, located in the Woodlands near Houston.

"The police work really hard to keep us safe, and so we can help keep them safe by raising money for a vest for their dogs," she said.

FISH members saved their change and worked with a national organization, Pennies to Protect Police Dogs, to find canine officers whose dogs needed the vests. The youngsters raised a total of $1,200 - enough for two custom-fitted vests.

LINK: Click to open full size version of image
A UMNS photo by John Gordon

The youth group at Christ Church United Methodist gathers to celebrate the purchase of a K-9 bulletproof vest.
"We did car washes, bake sales, and we got up in front of the church and told them about the project," said FISH member Colin Jacobson, 11. "We could bring in allowance money, any money that we had lying around at home."

One vest went to Chris, a 2-year-old German shepherd, and his handler, Scott Roush. Roush is a police patrol officer in Sinton, Texas, near Corpus Christi.

"What the kids did today will potentially, someday, save my dog's life," said Roush. "It's so valuable, what they did. It's just extraordinary, actually."

Chris wears his own badge and is trained to track and help apprehend suspects and sniff out illegal drugs. The dog is not only an important part of the Sinton police force, but he has become a part of Roush's family.

"I trust my life with this dog," Roush said. "And he's like a kid of mine."

Members of the FISH group presented the vest to Roush and his canine partner during a worship service.

LINK: Click to open full size version of image
A UMNS photo by John Gordon

Laura Tenney, 11, a member of Christ Church United Methodist, meets K-9 Chris.
"It felt really good," said Madison Connery, 11. "I thought it was a good idea because it's helping the police."

The youth also raised money for a second vest to protect Britta, a Belgian Malinois dog that works with Officer Steve Fullen in the Bexar County Precinct 2 Constable's Office in San Antonio.

Fullen said his dog is in danger because of police seizures from organized drug rings.

"I'm actually cutting into their business," Fullen said. "The dog is definitely more at risk than I would be. She can detect just trace amounts, so that makes her more of an obstacle in their enterprise."

Fullen and K-9 Britta won the top prize, a gold medal, in this year's Texas Police Games sponsored by the National Narcotic Detector Dog Association.

Boni Wallen, one of the adult leaders of the FISH program at Christ Church United Methodist, said the children learned they can make a difference.

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Courtesy of Officer Steve Fullen

K-9 Britta will also receive protective gear from the youth group at Christ Church United Methodist.
"Fifth- and sixth-graders, they tend to be kids who want things given to them, and I think it's awesome that they're giving to other people instead of themselves," Wallen said.

For Colin Jacobson, who has a pet German shepherd of his own, the chance to meet K-9 Chris was worth the months of hard work to raise the money for the vests.

"I like dogs a lot," he said. "And so, I thought he was really cool."

Howard Day, a national board member of Pennies to Protect Police Dogs, said most donations are made by adult organizations such as Rotary Clubs or Parent-Teacher Associations. The organization was started three years ago by Stacey Hillman when she was 11. Hillman lives in Casselberry, Fla.

"This is pretty amazing," Day said. "When you have kids at this age that have that kind of community awareness and have taken it upon themselves to help a canine and his human partner that they've never met, that says a lot about them, about their community involvement."

It's a lesson the FISH learned - by helping the dogs.

*Gordon is a freelance producer and writer based in Marshall, Texas.

News media contact: Fran Coode Walsh, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5458 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
 

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Christ Church United Methodist

Pennies to Protect Police Dogs

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