A vest for Fruitland’s four legged officer

Fruitland Police Department has one K-9 unit, but they have no funding from the city or state to run it. That’s why a fundraiser was held Sunday by the Youth Exercise Services Gym in Fruitland to help the unit going.

The fundraiser helped to help raise money to buy Officer Astra, the department’s canine, a bullet proof vest.

The going rate for a bullet proof vest for a canine, a hefty $1,000. Lucky for Astra, a donation of just that amount was given by the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore and made possible by the Susan and Arthur North Fund.

The vest we’re told, will be a huge help for Astra.

“We’ve just had three K-9 dogs that have been shot and killed in the last two months and that’s why the vests are so important. Dogs without the vests are like officers running around without any protection,” said Lori Opdyke, a personal trainer with the gym.

Additional donations are always needed to help the K-9 unit.

If you’d like help Astra, you can do so by sending a check to Fruitland Police Department and put K-9 on the memo line. Those checks can either be mailed or dropped of at Fruitland City Hall.