TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The nonprofit organization Together Saving Paws donated five custom-made ballistic vests to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department K-9 unit during a ceremony Wednesday evening at the Pima Regional Training Center.
The new vests were provided for K-9s Bullitt, Ivo, Raya, Pablo and Ryder, all of whom serve as dual-purpose dogs.
“They support our patrol units, SWAT, our fugitive unit, so they’re attached to a lot of situations and a lot of units that are dealing with high-risk subjects with violent tendencies — many of whom are armed,” said Sgt. Cody Gress, K-9 unit supervisor for the department. “So, adding this layer of protection is crucial to their safety.”
Deputy Samantha Sanders is the handler for Raya, a 4-year-old K-9.
“It just gives me a big peace of mind and a lot more confidence,” Sanders said.
For Sanders, Raya is more than a partner on the job.
“She’s a companion. She’s a best friend because she’s with me 24/7 — at work, at home,” Sanders said. “She’s a family member to me.”
Raya joins Sanders on high-risk missions such as narcotic searches and suspect apprehensions. So far this year, eight K-9 officers have died in the line of duty in the U.S., including three killed by gunfire, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.
The department’s previous vests often caused overheating during Arizona’s extreme heat, which led some handlers to go without them during summer months, Gress said.
“But now with these new vests, we’ll have that option to run basically year-round, with the vests on because of their capabilities,” he said, calling them top-of-the-line equipment.
Gress said the vests typically cost around $1,800 each, but the donation saved the department more than $7,000. Slaughter noted her nonprofit is able to purchase each vest for about $1,250.
After KGUN 9 reported on Together Saving Paws’ donation of a vest to K-9 Zona with the Tucson Police Department, Kim Slaughter, founder and CEO of Together Saving Paws, said a viewer reached out to sponsor a vest for another Arizona K-9.
“So then I reached out to Pima County, and Officer Cody, who is the head of the K-9 unit, contacted me back and said, ‘Absolutely, we actually are in need of vests,’” said Slaughter.
“It was completely unexpected, but it was something that we definitely took her up on because we happened to be in need of it,” Gress said. “All of our vests for our canines are expired, and frankly, they’re in disrepair.”
Now, Together Saving Paws has donated 38 ballistic vests to K-9 units across the country.
“If an officer gets up every single morning and they strap on their vest, these K-9s should have the same opportunity,” Slaughter said.
She added that the organization relies entirely on donations to provide the vests.
“If an officer reaches out and says, ‘Hey, I need a vest for my canine,’ I never want to have to tell them no,” Slaughter said. “I always want to have enough money in my account to say, ‘You got it,’ and I’ll get you one right away.”
With Raya’s new gear in place, Sanders said she feels more confident knowing her partner is better protected on duty.
“She’s my bestie, and she’s my partner in crime,” she said.
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Maria Staubs joined KGUN 9 as a multimedia journalist and producer in July of 2024. Her passion for writing and storytelling stems from anchoring her middle school’s news show and editing her high school’s yearbook. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication with a minor in film and media production, as well as a master's degree in mass communication. You can email Maria at maria.staubs@kgun9.com or reach out to her on X/Twitter or Instagram.
