Local police department gets K-9 cooling vest - ABC 12 – WJRT – Flint, MI

(07/18/12) - Police officers now have an easier way to make sure their K-9 dogs are protected in extreme heat.

Thanks to the owner of Arrowhead Police Emergency, the Argentine Township Police Department now has a way for their K-9 dogs to survive in weather like we had earlier this week.

They're recipients of A K-9 Cooling vest that was donated to the police department recently.

 Dogs can survive much longer when they use the device in warm weather because it keeps them cool.

The same technology that Argentine Township Police are receiving was used in the United States Military.

The developer of the vest became concerned about the number of dogs in Iraq and Afghanistan that were dying because of extreme heat.

The Argentine Police Department is the second place in the region that uses vests of this kind.

Detroit Public Schools is the first.

"It's very important for the dogs health and safety. With weather like today, the dogs can get heat exhaustion. We can't get a whole lot of work out of the dogs. For instance, a day like today, if we do a track, he's going to be done because of the heat, now we can track," said Detective Doug Fulton, a K-9 handler with the Argentine Township Police Department.

The K-9 Vests costs around $200 and Doug Fulton says it will not only keep his dog cool, it will also make it easier for it to catch criminals.