YouTube video shows dogs in action
By Jim Hayden
The Holland Sentinel
HOLLAND, Mich. (AP) — Henry and Niki are still getting used to their new look — black vests with “Police” in bold white letters across the side.
The Holland Department of Public Safety recently received two new protective vests for the two police dogs. The custom-made, fitted vests came at no charge to the department through Vested Interest in K9s Inc. The nonprofit group raised $155,375 to outfit 163 canines in 30 states. The vests are bullet proof and knife resistant.
The dogs are subject to the same dangers as the officers, from being attacked and stabbed to being shot at, Sgt. Scott Doza told The Holland Sentinel. The dogs have been assaulted in the past.
The vests would cost about $2,000 each if the department bought them.
The old vests were one-size-fits-all, cumbersome and difficult to get on the dog, Doza said.
Officers Joe Slenk and Joel Reimink got the new vests on their dogs in only a few tail wags as they showed how the dogs moved in the new body armor.
“Right now they’re getting used to the vests,” Doza said. “They’re so nice because they’re fitted.”
The K-9 unit consists of the three officers and two dogs. Slenk started with the unit six years ago and is handler of Henry, a 7-year-old shepherd. Reimink began in July and is the handler of Niki, a 4-year-old Malinois.
To see the dogs and officers in action, check out an about 11-minute video on YouTube that shows the officers taking the animals through various scenarios. Search “Holland Police K9” or connect at youtube.com/watch?v=QxD83HqGCHE.
“We did a track, narcotics find, building search. It turned out really good,” Doza said about the MacTV-produced video.
The annual Holland K-9 Golf Outing in June raised about $17,000 to keep the unit trained and running. Doza thanked the donors and major sponsors Lamar Construction, Allied Services, GNS America, Belly’s Grill and Tele-Rad.
Some of that money is also being used to buy cameras to mount on the dogs themselves that will help the officers when the animals search buildings or are used in other tactical situations.
