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HICKORY, NC – Meet Rico. The five-year-old Dutch Shepherd is paired with Hickory Police Officer Pendleton. Β “I’ve had Rico three years, and I trust him and he trusts me,” Pendleton says. Β He says police dogs like Rico are known for their high energy and strong work ethicβputting themselves in harm’s way. Β “Sometimes we send out dogs into houses, into buildings, into the unknown,” he explains.
But there was one thing missing. Β “Few months ago, Officer Rico came in with blood on his fur,” says Vet Tech Kelly Essam. “When I got to talking to Officer Pendleton, I asked him if they had any protection, and he said no.” Β So Essam started a fundraising drive to buy bulletproof vests.
The Hickory Police Department has four canines. Viewmont Animal Hospital is now only a few hundred dollars away from buying vests for all of them. Β “I love these dogs. And I respect them,” Essam says.
“Feel a little bit better sending our dogs into unknown situations to search a building knowing they’ve got protection, from, you know, whether that be a knife, or weapon, or firearm,” Pendleton says.
Each vest costs close to a thousand dollars. Β But they say the price is worth it for what the dogs do.
“It’s our dog, but he’s our partner also, so it doesn’t take very long to build a very strong relationship with him,” Pendleton says. Β A relationship he says is irreplaceable.
