Crime & Safety

Urbandale K-9 Is Both Pet and Partner to Officer

Officer Shane Taylor is relieved that his partner, Sabre, now has a canine Kevlar vest. The pair are together 24/7.

Urbandale Police Officer Shane Taylor and his partner were called to a breakin at a West Des Moines house last year. It was a dicey situation: the suspects were still in the house and were believed to be armed.

The decision was made to send in Taylor's partner, Sabre.

"It was a lot safer sending the dog in," said Taylor, who nevertheless felt nervous. He was wearing a bulletproof vest, but the German shepherd had no such protection.

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"We knew there were people in the house and there were firearms, so the Kevlar would have been good," said Taylor.

Kevlar for K-9s 

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Thanks to a donation from the non-profit group Kevlar for K-9s, Sabre now has a bulletproof vest to wear. The canine Kevlar jackets can cost between $850 and $1,000, said Taylor.

Sabre's was $750, said Jeff Casey, . Kevlar for K-9s is operated by volunteers who raise money to provide body armor for service dogs.

"Today’s working K9s — those in the military, law enforcement and Homeland Security — are put in mortal danger when doing their jobs," says the Kevlar for K-9s website. "Whether guarding territory or searching for criminals, explosives or drugs, these dogs work in hazardous situations, vulnerable to attack from every side. Loyal, intelligent and highly trained, these remarkable animals give 100 percent of themselves."

That night in West Des Moines, no one, including the dog, was injured. The suspects had left the house before police arrived. 

Taylor said Sabre has been trained to apprehend a suspect and will attack a target until they are subdued or stop struggling. The dog would not stop if a gun was pointed at it.

More Than a Partner

Sabre isn't the kind of dog you ask to pet. He's big and sounds scary when he's barking at you from inside the patrol car. 

"He knows when he gets in that patrol car, it's time to work," said Taylor. 

But Sabre is also a family dog to Taylor, his wife and their two young children.

"He goes home with me every day, spends 24 hours a day," said Taylor, who after being paired with the dog in 2011, immediately spent a month with Sabre training in Kansas.

Taylor stayed in a motel with the dog for a month. They bonded as partners, but it took a little while longer for Sabre and Taylor's family to get used to each other.

"Now he's just a family dog when he's home. He chases tennis balls, he chases his tail," said Taylor.

That night in West Des Moines, Taylor knew that sending in Sabre was the best decision, but he was concerned.

"Obviously, you are sending in your partner. It's part of your life. It's part of your family … people get attached to their animals, so yeah, there's some emotion there," said Taylor.

"He keeps me out of harm's way, but I have a job to keep him out of harm's way. Having this body armor for him, it does make me feel a lot better."


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