POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Haines City officer Ryon Green and his K9 partner Machado have an unbreakable bond.
"I spend probably 12 to 14 hours a day with him, so that's more than sometimes I get to spend with my wife and kids at home. He's my best friend; he's my partner. I know that if I have to rely on anybody, I can rely on him to be there for me," said Ryon Green.
Police officers run toward danger without hesitation every day. It's even more so for K9 officers.
"Our dogs, they show no fear. So that's something that's a benefit for us, but it's also not so much of a benefit for them because when the bad guy is in there, they go in no matter what," Green said.
Now Machado and the rest of the K9 officers at the Haines City Police Department have an added layer of protection.
"We all wear a bulletproof vest and it's for the unforeseen," said Haines City Police Chief Greg Goreck.
Four-legged officers will wear their own bulletproof and stabproof vests. The vests were donated by the nonprofit organization Vested Interest in K9s. Each vest has a value upwards of $2,000.
"Put the vest on them and it just gives them a better chance that if something goes wrong, they'll be able to survive," Goreck said.
This gives K9 handlers more peace of mind that their partners will return home safely.
"It makes it a whole lot easier knowing that I get to take him home. That's the most important thing at the end of the day, is that me and him both get to [go home] and if I'm vested up, then why not have him vested up as well," said Green.
