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Police dogs get bulletproof vests, thanks to church children

Sep. 29, 2005

NOTE: A UMTV report, photographs and related coverage are available at
http://umns.umc.org.

By John Gordon*

THE WOODLANDS, Texas (UMNS) - Many fifth- and sixth-graders save their
allowances to buy the latest video games or name-brand athletic shoes.

But a youth group from Christ Church United Methodist took on a nobler
cause: buying bulletproof vests for Texas police dogs.

"I thought it was a really neat project to do," said Kasey Connor, 11, a
member of the FISH (Fellowship In Serving Him) group at the church,
located in the Woodlands near Houston.

"The police work really hard to keep us safe, and so we can help keep
them safe by raising money for a vest for their dogs," she said.

FISH members saved their change and worked with a national organization,
Pennies to Protect Police Dogs, to find canine officers whose dogs
needed the vests. The youngsters raised a total of $1,200 - enough for
two custom-fitted vests.

"We did car washes, bake sales, and we got up in front of the church and
told them about the project," said FISH member Colin Jacobson, 11. "We
could bring in allowance money, any money that we had lying around at
home."

One vest went to Chris, a 2-year-old German shepherd, and his handler,
Scott Roush. Roush is a police patrol officer in Sinton, Texas, near
Corpus Christi.

"What the kids did today will potentially, someday, save my dog's life,"
said Roush.  "It's so valuable, what they did. It's just extraordinary,
actually."

Chris wears his own badge and is trained to track and help apprehend
suspects and sniff out illegal drugs. The dog is not only an important
part of the Sinton police force, but he has become a part of Roush's
family.

"I trust my life with this dog," Roush said. "And he's like a kid of
mine."

Members of the FISH group presented the vest to Roush and his canine
partner during a worship service.

"It felt really good," said Madison Connery, 11. "I thought it was a
good idea because it's helping the police."

The youth also raised money for a second vest to protect Britta, a
Belgian Malinois dog that works with Officer Steve Fullen in the Bexar
County Precinct 2 Constable's Office in San Antonio.

Fullen said his dog is in danger because of police seizures from
organized drug rings.

"I'm actually cutting into their business," Fullen said. "The dog is
definitely more at risk than I would be. She can detect just trace
amounts, so that makes her more of an obstacle in their enterprise."

Fullen and Britta won the top prize, a gold medal, in this year's Texas
Police Games sponsored by the National Narcotic Detector Dog
Association.

Boni Wallen, one of the adult leaders of the FISH program at Christ
Church United Methodist, said the children learned they can make a
difference.

"Fifth- and sixth-graders, they tend to be kids who want things given to
them, and I think it's awesome that they're giving to other people
instead of themselves," Wallen said.

For Colin Jacobson, who has a pet German shepherd of his own, the chance
to meet Chris was worth the months of hard work to raise the money for
the vests.

"I like dogs a lot," he said. "And so, I thought he was really cool."

Howard Day, a national board member of Pennies to Protect Police Dogs,
said most donations are made by adult organizations such as Rotary Clubs
or Parent-Teacher Associations. The organization was started three years
ago by Stacey Hillman when she was 11. Hillman lives in Casselberry,
Fla.

"This is pretty amazing," Day said. "When you have kids at this age that
have that kind of community awareness and have taken it upon themselves
to help a canine and his human partner that they've never met, that says
a lot about them, about their community involvement."

It's a lesson the FISH learned - by helping the dogs.

*Gordon is a freelance producer and writer based in Marshall, Texas.

News media contact: Fran Coode Walsh, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5458
or newsdesk@umcom.org.

********************

United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://umns.umc.org

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