Cleveland RTA K-9 receives bullet-proof vest via boy's fundraiser

A special K-9 officer of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) Transit Police named Kubo, became the recipient of a custom-designed protective vest, thanks to the fundraising efforts of 10-year-old Brady Snakovsky of Strongsville, Ohio.

The young Snakovsky started Brady’s K-9 Fund in 2018, with the “mission to donate practical, mission-ready vests to as many police K-9s as possible,” he says. Since then, he has raised enough money to vest more than 130 K-9 officers, with another 60 on a waiting list.

The vest was donated by MMI Textiles of Westlake and manufactured by Line of Defense in Canada, which makes body armour and tactical gear for military, police, security forces, and K-9 applications.

Kubo is RTA’s only dual-purpose K-9 officer (bomb and patrol), and was put on Brady’s K-9 Fund waiting list last spring after Snakovsky met RTA’s K-9 team.

MMI Textiles’ National Account Manager, Geoff Senko, heard of Brady’s K-9 Fund and wanted to get involved. Because Senko’s grandfather, Sgt. Ken Houck, served as a police officer, Kubo’s vest is designed with a special patch in memory of Sgt. Houck.

The vests are custom fit and made of bullet-proof, moisture-wicking material and are designed to be worn all day. Vests costs about $1,000 and take about 90 days to manufacture.