TN Highway Patrol Receives Donation Of Ballistic Vest For K-9 Officer

The Tennessee Highway Patrol received a ballistic vest as a donation for their K-9 Officer Draco.

K-9 Training Director Devery Moses said that the donation could help the community understand how seriously they handle their K-9 Officers’ safety.

“They do go home with the handlers and become sort of a family pet once they go home,” Moses said. “But Trooper Cothron is the only one that handles that dog, so with him having that vest, even though we treat them as a tool and they are a tool,  I think it’s just a little more protection we can give for our four-legged partners.”

The donation came from Chattanooga-based KC Candle Company and its Candles for K-9 Program. Owner Stacy Prater said Draco was the company’s first donation recipient since starting the program in March. Prater said vests typically can run for $700.

Moses said it’s not often that they receive donations of this kind. He said this is the first one they’ve received in the past four years since he’s been with the department.

Draco’s handler Trooper Adam Cothron said that he is thankful for the vest helping Draco as he faces potentially dangerous situations.

“It might be anything with a gunfire, shooting situations,” Cothron said. “Anything to protect him from the gunfire I think will be a good situation for him. Or building searches, such as anything with an armed suspect.”

Cothron said that Draco has trained as a narcotics detection, patrol, and tracking dog. He said he became Draco’s handler in January of last year and has had him ever since.