Powder Springs K9 officers get donated safety equipment

Two K9 officers with the Powder Springs Police Department recently received a donation from the Georgia Police K9 Foundation to keep them safe.

The nonprofit organization donated $3,183 worth of safety equipment for the two canines — Kash and Reno.

“It is an honor to help protect K9 Kash and K9 Reno and hope they continue to do great things and not have to worry about doing their jobs in the most secure environment possible,” Georgia Police K9 Foundation President Kyle Briley said in a statement.

Kash is a 7-year-old Belgium Malinois and Reno is a 2-year-old German shepherd. Both pull double duty as narcotics and patrol K9s, according to the Statesboro volunteer group.

The dogs’ squad cars were equipped with an Ace K9 Heat Alarm system and and American Aluminum Kennel insert, according to a press release from the foundation.

The heat alarm monitors and controls the temperature in the canines’ cruiser. It sends out alerts and automatically rolls down the back windows if the temperature in the vehicle gets too hot.

The kennel inserts take up the space of a backseat, giving the canines plenty of room for comfort.

The Georgia Police K9 Foundation specializes in donating safety equipment such as Narcan kits, heat alarm systems and bulletproof vests to law enforcement agencies to protect their four-legged officers. The organization has assisted over 1,000 canines.

Last month, the foundation bought a K9 for the Austell Police Department to replace a veteran police dog that had to retire after being wounded in action earlier this year.