Project Paws Alive Inc
We provide K9 stab & bulletproof vests, K9 first aid kits, K9 Narcan kits, cooling vests, vehicle heat alarms, and other vital K9 protective equipment to underfunded Law Enforcement, Fire, Search & Rescue, and Military K9 units nationwide who cannot otherwise afford it. An all un-paid volunteer organization. 100% of donations go towards this gear.
Project Paws Alive was established in 2012 when our co-founders combined their federal and state law enforcement backgrounds to address a nationwide working K9 protection gap. Influenced by their time working with the FBI’s FTTTF (Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task Force) and State of Georgia Law Enforcement Agencies, they combined their love of dogs with first hand experience to create Project Paws Alive; a nationwide nonprofit that provides protective equipment to Law Enforcement, Fire, Search & Rescue, and Military K9 Units throughout the United States.
Prompted by several law enforcement K9 deaths in one year that could have been prevented if the K9s had been wearing protective ballistic vests on duty, they conducted extensive research and found that almost all first responders do not have the funds or budget approvals to afford such expensive equipment. In many instances agencies are prohibited from spending budget funds to purchase equipment that is “not for use by humans”.
Due to budget cuts and other economic issues 92% of all K9 units are run solely on donations. In almost all cases, the handlers must personally pay for their K9 partner’s needs which includes medical, food, grooming, training, yearly certifications, and K9 safety equipment such as K9 protective vests, K9 First Aid kits, K9 cooling vests, K9 vehicle heat alarms, etc. Most people assume that because the K9 is an officer of the agency then the K9 must therefore get all the equipment it needs to be protected and that the agency pays for all its expenses. This assumption is entirely false.
K9 Units are typically classified as “non-essential”, “specialty”, or “equipment” units and therefore do not often receive a budget or have the ability to purchase these costly protective items.
Many agencies cannot accept direct donations from the public, businesses, or even private resources.
We quickly saw the gaps these K9 units face and found that there is no other nationwide non-profit organization in existence that is working to provide the range of protective K9 equipment items or the superior level of quality protective equipment items these K9s need across the country.
We believe all Law Enforcement, Fire, Search & Rescue, and Military K9s should be afforded the same lifesaving protection as their human partners. These highly trained K9s dutifully protect and serve us every day and we believe they should be protected in return.
Financials
Programs
Bullet & Spike-proof Ballistic K9 Vests
Each body armor vest is custom manufactured to fit the specific body shape of each individual K9. The vests are custom fit to 4 measurement points; the K9’s neck, torso, abdomen, and length from the base of the neck to their tail which affords maximum coverage in a newly redesigned agile vest.
The new vests employ ground-breaking features like the hidden dynamic cummerbund, shoulder fit adjustments and covered zipper closure. These vests are a streamlined package allowing the K9 to move freely with minimal snag points, while offering the best options in ballistic/stab protection.
K9 First Aid Trauma kits
This kit contains specific supplies needed to treat the dog for injuries ranging from gunshot and knife wounds to snake bites.
The K9 Tactical Field Kit is designed to enable handlers to provide lifesaving treatment to injured canines at the point of injury or when veterinary care is not immediately available.
Everything in the K9 First Aid Field Trauma Kit can also be used on the human handler providing an additional layer of emergency trauma care available on-scene.
K9 Narcan Kit w/ Fentanyl-proof Gloves
NARCAN is a drug designed to immediately reverse the effects of opioids like Heroin, Fentanyl and Carfentanil by blocking the body’s opiate receptors. NARCAN blocks the effects of opioids and reverses overdoses with few side effects. It has long been used by doctors and ambulance crews. A NARCAN dose can successfully stabilize a K9 at the scene, who can then be transported to an animal hospital for further treatment and observation.
How lethal is Fentanyl?
A tiny amount of Fentanyl smaller than the size of a grain of rice can kill a K9 or human.
K9 PCM Cooling Vest
The K9 cooling vest is a professional grade cooling vest that is designed for working dogs (police, military, search and rescue, etc.) or any professional working K9 that is exposed to temperatures or conditions that would inhibit the K9’s work or safety. The vest provides hours of cooling comfort and heat stress prevention using the latest technology called Phase Change Material (PCM) to maintain a constant cool temperature of 58F around the K9.
PCM is a non-toxic gel that freezes at 58F and stays at that temperature for 4-6 hrs. PCM absorbs heat away from the K9 and allows them to remain cool and comfortable while on duty.
Volunteering + Events
Remote Volunteer Opportunities
We appreciate your interest in volunteering with Project Paws Alive!
Our list of current volunteer needs can be found online at VolunteerMatch.org. Search for Project Paws Alive or use this direct link: (www.volunteermatch.org/search/org550130.jsp)
Search the list of opportunities and click the “I want to Help” button if you would like to assist us with that need.
Host a Fundraiser Online or In Person
From Facebook fundraisers to bake sales and lemonade stands, to golf tournaments and car shows, creative fundraising events such as yours are important in our efforts to raise funds and awareness to ensure K9 officers nationwide have the protective gear they need while protecting the public.
Community Fundraisers are great for any business, group, club, organization, league, students or individuals.
Getting started is easy and we can provide fundraising tools to use. Please contact us for more information or send an email to [email protected]
