Pubdate: Tue, 25 Sep 2001 Source: Charleston Daily Mail (WV) Website: http://www.dailymail.com/ Address: 1001 Virginia St. E., Charleston, WV 25301-2835 Contact: 2001 Charleston Daily Mail Author: Vada Mossavat SHE'S HELPED PROTECT THE PROTECTOR Donor Helps Police Dog Get A Bulletproof Vest Bern is a lucky dog. An anonymous donor gave Bern -- the narcotics detection dog for the Kanawha County Sheriff's Department -- a bulletproof vest. In the five years the sheriff's department has had a K-9 unit, none of the dogs has ever been shot. But Bern's handler, Deputy Ron Mathis, said, "They're in the line of duty, too." Mathis has handled Bern for three years. "Bern is known through the Kanawha Valley, not just by those he's apprehended," said Chief Deputy Phil Morris. "He also goes into schools." The sheriff's department has received donations in the past, but they have never been directed to a certain item, Morris said. The donor, an 86-year-old woman who wants to remain anonymous, has lived in Kanawha County her whole life. She made the donation in the memory of her late husband and daughter. The only condition she attached to the donation was that her two great grandsons, Christian Reeves and Dustin Paxton, were able to have their picture taken with the dog. Her husband, whom she was married to for 63 years, died last July. She said she has spent little of the money she and her husband saved together. She doesn't spend all of the income she receives each month, so she has been able to make donations to causes she thinks are worthy. The vest she donated to Bern cost $719.95, she said. She has never met the deputies or their dogs, she said, but she read an article in the newspaper about the Capital City charity horse show that was trying to raise money for a vest for the bomb dog. "I can do that," she said she thought to herself. She said she's hoping her donation will urge others to make contributions. Her great grandsons were both excited to be able to spend a little time with Deputy Mathis and Bern on Friday when Bern received the vest. "I think it looks cool," Christian said. He said he'd seen the county's two dogs in his school in Dunbar before, but he was still impressed with Bern. "I've just never heard anyone talk to a dog in German," he said. Different dogs are trained in different languages, Mathis said, and Bern was trained in German. Bern, who cost about $5,000 himself, will have to be trained with the vest. He's never worn anything like it before, Deputy Chief Morris said. "There are situations that the deputies will know about ahead of time that are particularly dangerous," he said. "When they (the dog and the deputy) go into a drug culture or situation, the officer will be able to put the vest on Bern and that will give him added protection." Morgan, the other dog in the K-9 unit, will be receiving a bulletproof vest later this month from the Capital City charity horse show, Morris said. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth