OhioHealth Police K9 Rudy will receive a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. K9 Rudy’s vest will be embroidered with the sentiment “In memory of K9 Gabo, Jonesboro, AR EOW 1/16/20”. Delivery is expected within eight to ten weeks.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., established in 2009, is a 501(c)(3) charity whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. This potentially lifesaving body armor for four-legged K9 is U.S. made, custom fitted, and NIJ certified. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. has provided over 4,004 vests to K9s in all 50 states at a value of $6.9 million, made possible by both private and corporate donations.

The program is open to U.S. dogs that are at least 20 months old, actively employed and certified with law enforcement or related agencies. K9s with expired vests are also eligible to participate. There are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. accepts tax-deductible contributions in any amount, while a single donation of $960 will sponsor one vest. Each vest has a value of $1,744-$2,283, weighs an average of 4-5 lb., and comes with a five-year warranty. For more information, or to learn about volunteer opportunities, please call 508-824-6978. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provides information, lists events, and accepts donations at www.vik9s.org, or you may mail your contribution to P.O. Box 9, East Taunton, MA 02718.

In July, Kee's dream came true when he became the first-ever OhioHealth K9 officer and handler of Rudy – a furry, two-year-old Belgian Malinois who immigrated to Columbus all the way from Holland to help detect and deter illegal narcotics at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital. Together, Kee and Rudy form the hospital's Narcotic K9 unit.

But, it's more than just Kee's wish.

The widespread reach of Ohio's opioid crisis has created an uneasiness among physicians, nurses and associates at Riverside Methodist who engage with patients and visitors, any of whom might be under the influence of narcotics, carrying needles or possessing illicit drugs.

"We heard from associates last year who shared these concerns and we took them seriously," said Anthony Bando, director of Protective Services at Riverside Methodist. "The safety of our associates, patients and visitors is a top priority, and adding the K9 unit is another tool for our highly-trained team to ensure a safe environment."

The OhioHealth Foundation funded this pilot experience, which has the potential to expand to other care sites, if successful.

Rudy was carefully selected to fit the needs of a hospital environment. In addition to being highly skilled, he needed to be friendly and interact well with people, which can be a rare pairing of personality traits.

"We looked at several vendors across the country who specialize in K9 units and selected a local organization, Storm Dog Tactical, based in Sunbury, Ohio," said Bando. "They looked at our culture, took into consideration our core values and figured out the kind of dog we needed."

"As soon as he hops out of the cruiser, he's working," said Kee. "He's another officer on the job who is highly trained and searching for narcotics."

Rudy's work includes roaming the hallways and entrances of the hospital and engaging people. But when and where you see him may be a surprise.

"We are going to be as random as possible, otherwise people will learn our patterns," said Kee. "We want to be predictably unpredictable."

But sniffing out narcotics isn't Rudy's only task. He also plays an important role in making people comfortable talking about opioids. Sometimes, it begins with a pat on the head.

"Because of Rudy, we're going to be able to discuss the opioid problem in our community and educate people," said Bando.

When Rudy's shift ends, he hops back into the cruiser to share french fries with Kee and talk out their day on the way home. There, he's just another member of the family, joining Kee's wife, two kids, a lazy golden retriever and a German shepherd mix.

"I thought our shepherd was high-strung until Rudy joined the family. He never stops," said Kee.

He says Rudy is a great fit for his family, and their bond is so strong, Rudy won't let him out of his sight.

"I didn't know how in-depth this really was," admitted Kee. "It's so much deeper than what people see. He's my partner and will always have my back, and yet I also get to bring my favorite pet to work. I'm grateful for the experience."

This story was originally published in an internal OhioHealth associate publication.

Rudy, a two-year-old Belgian Malinois, is a member of Riverside Methodist’s security team and is trained to detect narcotics. With his handler James Kee, a protective services officer, Rudy is helping keep illegal drugs out of the care site.

“We’re dedicated to ensuring the safest environment in our hospitals,” Anthony Bando, director of protective services, told reporters in a recent interview. “A K-9, especially one who is trained in narcotics, is just another tool we can give our officers, who are already highly trained, to help fulfill that mission.”

In partnership with Storm Dog Tactical, a world-class organization that specializes in training police force dogs, Rudy and Kee have completed rigorous training to implement this best-in-class K9 program. Rudy’s first day on the job will be in July.

In addition to detecting and deterring illegal drugs from entering the care site, another one of Rudy’s responsibilities is to engage with patients and visitors. So far, this hasn’t been hard for Rudy, who instantly becomes the center of attention as soon as he enters a room.

“They see me and say, ‘Oh, there’s the K9 handler. Where’s the dog?’” Kee told reporters. “It’s not even, ‘How are you doing?’ But he’s the guy. I just walk in there and read him. It’s his nose that’s going to help.”

Right now, the K9 program is acting as a pilot program at Riverside Methodist, with the broader goal of implementing it at other care sites.

OhioHealth regularly sees patients recovering from narcotics addiction. Ensuring care sites like Riverside Methodist remain a safe environment for patients to do that is the ultimate goal, and Rudy will play a major role in making that happen.

You can learn more about Rudy by clicking on the ThisWeek News and 10TV logos below.