It was their love of dogs that brought each of them into Clay and Kathy Harvey’s small retail shop on Clay Avenue––appropriately named For the Love of Dogs Bakery. But it was their shared respect for each other, and their respective small businesses, that led them to join forces last year to exchange marketing and advertising ideas; and most recently, these animal-loving business owners have linked up to raise funds to provide bulletproof and stab-resistant vests for Lexington’s K-9 Police Unit.
The Police K-9 Vests for Life Golf Scramble, hosted by David Bridenbecker of What’s the Scoop? Pet Waste Removal, Tiffany Morrow and Chris Simpson of Dogtown, Sarah Hoosier and Samantha Moses of Critter Sitters of Lexington, and Kathy and Clay Harvey of For the Love of Dogs Bakery, will be held April 29 at Kearney Hills Golf Course.
“The idea originally came from my mother, Kathy,” said Clay. “She came across an article about a K-9 lost on duty, and we happened to know Sgt. [Eric] Bowling of the K-9 unit. We started talking about it and we all agreed we wanted to help in some way. Then David knew about Vests for Life from a national convention he had attended. We decided we wanted to vest Lexington’s narcotic and patrol canines––there is only one vest for nine dogs. Then Sam (Moses) got the idea of throwing the golf scramble.”
Lexington’s K9 Unit was established in 1962. Sgt. Bowling’s father worked with the unit during the ’60s and ’70s, and in the ’90s he fell into the same unit. “I always knew I liked it.”
“We use our dogs every night,” said Bowling, who has been with the police force for 18 years. “Whether we’re tracking someone or doing a building search––if there’s a broken door or window, the building is unsecured so we have to search it…Hopefully we won’t need these vests at all, but we’ll keep them on hand for times when the unit has to enter a building where a suspect could be armed.”
At nearly $1,000 each, these special protective vests are bulletproof, stab-proof, and protect against blunt trauma injuries. According to VestADog.com, in the past 10 years, bullet, stab, or blunt trauma injuries caused 60 percent of police dog deaths.
“We were thinking of a way to give back to our community; we thought ‘what is going to have a big impact?’” said Clay. “When we found out about Lexington’s need for these vests, we decided we’d much rather put our money and resources into something like this.
“Our goal is to turn this into an annual event, to raise funds for training, which is really overlooked,” continued Clay. “We’ve picked up the administrative costs so all the proceeds are going toward purchasing the vests. We hope to get over $8,000 (which is needed for eight vests)…We’re really excited about it and our businesses exist because of the public so it only fits that we do this to benefit the community.”
If you’d like to support Lexington’s K9 Unit, there are several ways to help. You can make a monetary donation directly towards the vests. All amounts, large or small, are appreciated. Donations can be mailed to Police K-9 Vest for Life, P.O. Box 34141, Lexington, KY, 40588-4141.
You can also sponsor a hole for $125 (green) or $200 (tee box). Prize items are also needed, so if you would like to donate a driver, putter, walking bag, gift cards, etc., contact one of the organizers. You can also sponsor goodie bags. You are welcome to put your logo on golf balls, golf towels, coolers, coupons for your business, pens, hats, etc.
And, of course, if you’d like to actively take part, sign up your team of four and practice your swing April 29 at Kearney Hills Golf Course at 8 a.m. rain or shine. Team prices are $300, or $75 per person.
For more:
What’s the Scoop? Pet Waste Removal, David Bridenbecker, (859) 489-2606
Critter Sitters of Lexington, Inc., Sarah Hoosier & Samantha Moses, (859) 224-4400
Dogtown, LLC, Tiffany Morrow & Chris Simpson, (859) 252-DOGS
For the Love of Dogs Bakery, Kathy & Clay Harvey, (859) 233-3647