Thanks to a donation from a nonprofit organization, Battle Ground Police Department dog Luca will receive a vest that is gunshot- and stab-resistant.
Luca, a 4-year-old German shepherd born in the Czech Republic, has spent his entire career at the department and with his handler, Sgt. Chris Crouch, according to the police department.
The two are certified to do patrol and drug-detection work, and Luca has been deployed more than 125 times, including five SWAT team deployments. He has been involved in more than 40 arrests and narcotics finds.
The vest will be embroidered in honor of Vancouver Police dog Ike, who died last year after a suspect stabbed him during a pursuit.
“We are so grateful for this generous donation,” Crouch said in a news release from the department. “It will provide an added level of safety and security for Luca.”
Luca is the third police dog in the county to receive a vest through Vested Interest in K-9s Inc, joining Vancouver police dogs Tripp and Ivar. The other vests also were embroidered in Ike’s memory.
The organization, through donations, provides protective gear to working dogs, and it said it has provided more than 1,600 protective vests to dogs in 49 states since 2009. Luca’s vest is sponsored by Amber Will of Vancouver. The Battle Ground Police Department said it expects the vest will be delivered in eight to 10 weeks.
