Tony Stewart Foundation Equips ISP K-9's with Bullet Resistant Vests

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – What do Tony Stewart, Susie Jean and the Energizer bunny have in common?  They keep going and going.  Tony and Susie have partnered to provide bullet-resistant & knife-resistant vests for all 30 dogs of the Indiana State Police K-9 Unit.  These custom-made vests will be presented by Tony to the Indiana State Police on Thursday evening, July 24 at O’Reilly Raceway Park (ORP).  J.D. Byrider is providing hospitality for the presentation beginning at 5:15 p.m. EDT.  Opening ceremonies for the USAC Midget & Silver Crown Double Header will feature a demonstration of the vest and the “sleeve assault” by a K-9 “officer” and his handler. 

In July 2002, Susie was watching television footage of a police dog being fatally wounded in pursuit of a criminal suspect.  Realizing that canine police ”officers” need protection as much as their human officers, Susie began planning and networking that very night for what would become Vest ‘N Police Dog Protection (or Vest ‘N P.D.P), a non-profit organization that donates Kevlar vests to police dogs throughout the United States – free of charge.  Through grassroots efforts, Susie has provided 169 vests to police dogs in 22 different states and she’s been dubbed “Dog’s Vest Friend”.  Susie expressed, “My efforts are a small price to pay for our police dogs that protect their human partner as well as our communities.” 

Tony Stewart loves animals.  He has dedicated a portion of his foundation to supporting organizations which provide care for abused, endangered or homeless animals as well as supporting programs that provide animal welfare through specific programming.  Susie, with great optimism, submitted a grant application to the Tony Stewart Foundation to request funds to provide vests for the current 14 Indiana State Police K-9 ‘officers’.  Tony, upon learning that the state’s K-9 program was expanding to 30 units, responded with funds for 40 vests – 30 to protect all K-9 units of the Indiana State Police plus 10 additional vests for dogs waiting in Georgia, New Mexico, North Carolina and Minnesota.  Today, Susie’s count for vests donated is 209… and she’s racing off to continue her work to provide vests in more communities. 

Indiana State Police Superintendent Dr. Paul Whitesell stated, “On behalf of the Indiana State Police, I wish to offer my most sincere appreciation for the Tony Stewart Foundation and their generous donation to our K-9 program.  Their generosity has enabled the purchase of K-9 vests that will greatly enhance the safety of our work dog program.  The nature of their duties routinely puts them at physical risk of death and injury.  Police work dogs give everything they have in the service of mankind.  How nice it is to be able to give them something in return.  I speak from experience when I say that nobody loves their dog more than a police K-9 handler.  For all of my Troopers – two legged and four, thank you, Tony Stewart Foundation.” 

The Indiana State Police marks 75 years of providing extraordinary law enforcement services to citizens, visitors and highway travelers of Indiana.  Although much has changed since it began in 1933 with 66 men, the Indiana State Police exemplify the same mission – providing the most professional, effective and courteous police service possible at all times and with every endeavor. 

To learn more about Vest ‘N P.D.P. visit Susie’s web site, www.vestnpdp.com.   To catch up with Tony and his philanthropic work, visit www.tonystewartfoundation.org.  For more information about the Indiana State Police, visit www.isp.in.gov.

Source: Indiana State Police

Technorati Tags: News State Crime / Police Indiana State Police - ISP Indianapolis Marion County Susie Jean Tony Stewart