Hei-Do, Mohave County Sheriff's Office K-9, like his fellow officers, is now protected by a bulletproof vest, thanks to the Kingman Lion's Club.  Purchased through the Vest-A-Dog program of San Diego, Calif., the $650 Kevlar vest is a miniature version of the type worn by deputies in the field and designed to protect vital organs from a knife attack or small arms fire.
"The dogs can become a target, too," Sheriff Sheahan said Thursday (7/12) during the weekly luncheon meeting of the Lion's Club. Sheahan, Hei-Do, and Hei-Do's handler, Deputy Ryan Bridges, were on hand to present a plaque to the Lions thanking them for their donation.
Trained to follow a scent, Hei Do will hunt for suspects outdoors or inside a building, Bridges said. "He goes first."  Once a suspect is located, the five-year-old German Shepherd "alerts" by barking or, if necessary, will bite and hold onto a resisting or fleeing suspect, he said. Turning his partner loose on a possibly desperate person has been a concern for Bridges, "You never know what will happen…he's part of us, one of the team."
Members of the Lion's Club were also concerned. "When we learned of the vest program, we wanted to help, so we voted to buy one," said club president Ray Cullison. "These dogs are just like the deputies, they do an important job, too."
Hei-Do, assigned to the Kingman area, is one of 3 working MCSO K-9s and the first to have a bulletproof vest.
After reading this story in a local newspaper, a citizen, who asked to remain anonymous, donated money to cover the cost of two more vests for other MCSO K-9s.  Sheriff Sheahan personally thanked this extraordinary person for their generous contribution to the MCSO which stands also as a contribution to the people of Mohave County.