DARLINGTON, SC (WBTW) – One Pee Dee law enforcement agency wants to make sure all of its officers are protected, including the four-legged ones, and one man is rallying the community to help.
Darlington County Sheriff Tony Chavis said protecting his officers is always a top priority, no matter their species.
“These dogs are out here searching cars for dope and stuff and could meet the wrong kinds of people,” Said Sheriff Chavis.
The Darlington County Sheriff’s Office recently put in an order for 48 brand-new bulletproof vests for its officers after discovering many of their current vests had expired. However, those were just for the human officers, while the sheriff’s five K-9 officers face the same dangers with less protection.
“I thought to myself, ‘that’s just unacceptable,'” said Todd Glowacki.
A close friend of Sheriff Chavis and former law enforcement officer himself, Glowacki couldn’t let his K-9 brethren go unprotected.
“When I was a trooper and I went out, I had my tools with me to do my job,” said Glowacki. “I had my gun, I had my handcuffs, and I always wore my vest.”
Glowacki started a fundraiser on the website youcaring.com, his $2,500 goal is enough to pay for five K-9 vests.
“Those dogs deserve to have as much protection as their human counterparts,” Glowacki said.
He said while it started as just a conversation with his friend, Sheriff Chavis, he’s surprised at just how much people have responded in just a few days. Surprised, but honored to be able to support local law enforcement.
“Next thing you know, I have almost $1,150 donated so far,” he explained. “It’s just something that I wanted to give back to the community for all the years that they gave me.”
If you’d like to help support the cause, visit Glowacki’s fundraising site here.
