K9s of Valor Donates Trauma Kits Streetboro, Ohio

November 26, 2017 | Streetboro, Ohio

Three-month-old Kaya is working on getting down the basics, before he’s able to patrol the streets with his partner, Officer Jason Hall of the Streetsboro Police Department.

“Right now he’s training on narcotic detection, apprehension, and tracking, being able to track suspects or missing people,” he said.

But once he’s of age and able to serve, anything could happen.

“So a lot of times you know, that’s going to be the first person or first police officer they encounter is going to be the K-9, so you know they figure they can fight the K-9 first and that’s usually why a lot of them get hurt.”

That’s why he’s getting something special to protect him.

“We provide first aide trauma kits,” said Nathan King, founder of the nonprofit organization, K9s of Valor. “The kit has everything from minor to major you know stabbing, shooting...it can treat those injuries until they can get to an emergency hospital.”

K9s of Valor is the nonprofit organization that is donating the kit to Kaya.

“Our goal is keep these K-9s safe when they’re out on the streets. The departments will contact us and say ‘hey, we have a K-9 unit, we’d love to have a medical kit, but also I’ll call around to area departments to see if they need a kit as well,” King said.

The whole idea started after K-9 Jethro was shot and killed in the line of duty earlier this year.

“The bond that these K-9s have officers have with their dogs, I can relate to with my dog, and so when I heard about that on Jan. 10 it really was a touching moment for me,” said King.

And they're asking folks in the community for donations, to put these first aid kits, that have items in it like this which can help stop the bleeding of an injury, into the hands of every police station in Ohio.

King said, “It’s definitely a good feeling to know that these K-9s will be a little bit safer.”

Kaya's owner and partner for the Streetsboro Police Department expressed fulfilling this type of need is priceless.

“I mean that could do wonders. Usually emergency vets are pretty far away. Yeah, this definitely will help.”

Kaya’s kit will be arriving in about two weeks, which is just in time for when he’ll be able to go out on duty in late summer.