BOISE, Idaho (KBOI) — Human officers wear vests all the time in all kinds of conditions.
But it's less common for police dogs like Jardo to wear body armor because a dog's physiology is different than a human's.
"The big thing with dogs wearing vests is they do overheat," said Lt. Brian Lee with the Boise Police Department. "On an extended call or something like that, it would be difficult to keep them in vest that long.The vests are only as good as the areas they're covering as well."
Boise police dog Jardo, who was not wearing a vest, was shot in the chest on Friday during a search for a fugitive and lost one of his lungs, but was expected to fully recover.
His sudden death Wednesday comes as a shock to the Boise Police Department and to many others in the community
All kinds of protective vests are on the market for all kinds of dogs. But the Boise Police Department has none and says, by and large, the vest tends to hinder, not help, the police dog.
"It reduces their agility and mobility while they're wearing it," said Lt. Lee. "They can get hung up on things they wouldn't if they didn't have it on. All those things have to be taken into considerations."
But it is a discussion the department's K-9 corps has been having, especially after the loss of Jardo.
"I've talked to some of the leadership in the K-9 unit in the last couple days since this has happened," said Lt. Lee, "and they said they are looking at other vests that may be lighter than previous generations, not as bulky."
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