Community Corner

Boy Donates Allowance, Tooth Fairy Money for K9 Vest

The 5-year-old wanted to keep Eddie, the Palo Alto Police newest working dog, safe.

Police dogs, like their police handlers, could suffer gunshot wounds on the job. But one little boy's gift hopes to keep a local K9 safe.

Five-year-old Gavin Buchanan donated his tooth fairy and allowance money to the Woodside-based organization Cover Your K9 and on Saturday, Aug. 3—at the Bay Area police dog trial—they all presented Palo Alto's newest police dog, Eddie, with a vest.

"We were very moved at the end of a long Cover Your K9 fundraising weekend that our youngest donor Gavin gave $100 of his tooth fairy and allowance money to protect police dogs," said Louise V. Tully, the organization's vice president. "We are honored to have Gavin present K9 Eddie, the newest Palo Alto Police Dog with the first vest given since the event."

Cover Your K9  fundraises to provide bulletproof vests, trauma kits, heat alarms for patrol cars and a retired K-9 emergency medical fund for police and sheriff's dogs around Northern California.

Find out what's happening in Palo Altowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

On a recent Saturday, Cover Your K9 partnered with Pet Express to receive a portion from every dog washed.

The organization continues to accept donations.

Find out what's happening in Palo Altowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"There is still a long list of dogs that need vests and that we are continuing the fundraising," said Linda Lasky, a registered veterinarian in emergency and critical care. Lasky volunteers with Cover Your K9. "We are a completely volunteer based organization and all the money raised goes to equipment and dog first aid training for the k9s and handlers."

For more information visit www.coveryourk9.org


Editor's Note: Here's some information Patch received from Tully after filing this story. 

"Pet Food Express has donated 121,000 that was raised at the Cover Your K9 Fundraiser that they hosted and we have received more donations totaling close to $3,000 since then due to folks being inspired by Gavin's generosity. Our goal for the year to take care of all of the K9s in our Northern Calif region is $150,000."


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