Our Hometown Hero

It’s not uncommon to see dogs around the VPI office, but today’s visit from a Belgian Malinois was a very special one. Tarzan and his handler, Officer Donny Lee, are members of the police department in Brea, Calif., where our company is headquartered. While all pets are near and dear to our hearts, we have incredible respect for those that risk their lives every day to keep us safe. It is with this in mind that our Employee Contribution Committee elected to donate a bullet and stab proof vest to our local K-9 hero, Tarzan.

According to Officer Lee, Tarzan was born in Holland and bred to partake in a national competition as a protection dog. After a very elaborate training program, Tarzan received his KNPV certification and was sent to the United States to continue training for drug detection and police canine patrol functions. The courageous canine works four 10-hour shifts each week and is often needed to search for armed suspects or illegal narcotics.

“Tarzan and I are subject to being called out for any incident where our skills and training can be useful,” said Officer Lee. “Often times, those incidents are considered high-risk and can include joining the SWAT team in tactical situations. Tarzan is often the first officer to enter a dangerous situation and the vest will provide him with a level of protection that will help ensure his safety and well-being.”

Our donation was made possible through an organization called Vested Interest in K-9s, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to providing protective vests for police dogs across the nation. According to its website, most law enforcement agencies do not have the funding required to provide safety vests for their K-9 officers. Here at VPI, we know just how much trouble dogs can get into when they aren’t fighting crime or saving lives, which is why we feel it’s important to provide whatever protection we can – be it a bullet proof vest to our hometown hero or pet insurance for the brave search and rescue dogs that served our country in the wake of a national tragedy.

As a thank you for the service provided by these courageous pets and their owners, we offer a 5 percent discount to military, police, firefighters and other sworn officers, and we’re very proud to call 170 police department dogs nationwide members of the VPI family.