http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local/scn-sa-nor.vest1oct20,0,6677932.story?coll=stam-news-local-headlines
By Alexandra Fenwick
Staff Writer
October 20, 2006
NORWALK -- Nomak, an imposing 100-pound German shepherd in the Norwalk Police Department's K-9 Unit, is trained to take on tough situations.
He and his handler, police officer Andy Kovlakas, are called in to track suspects, find missing children, detect narcotics and apprehend criminals.
Sometimes those situations call for wearing a bulletproof canine vest, which is not included in the police budget. But yesterday, Nomak received the protection his handler said he needs and deserves -- thanks to the generosity of a Stamford girl and the fundraiser she led to pay for the $1,500 vest.
In six months, Samantha Rushovich, 12, baked batches upon batches of six cookies each that she sold to neighbors for $3.50.
That's about 2,571 cookies, minus a few muffins, brownies and cakes, that went into purchasing the 6-pound bullet-, stab- and slash-proof vest.
Yesterday, Samantha smiled with Nomak and his handler, K-9 officer Andy Kovlakas, as the 31Ú2-year-old German shepherd tried on his new gear, embroidered with his name on the side.
"It's a big relief because now it's all over. It was stressful baking cookies because we promised to deliver them fresh. But it's really nice to see Nomak get the vest," Samantha said. "It's a really nice feeling. I did something for him because he's protecting everyone here so I gave something back."
Nomak and Samantha had met before, when Kovlakas visited Samantha's Stamford home to thank her and show off the dog's tricks. Yesterday, Nomak licked Samantha's hand, his big pink tongue hanging out of a mouth full of teeth that no criminal would want to face.
"Say thank you," Kovlakas said to Nomak.
Samantha first undertook the marathon baking fundraiser in April as part of a service project for her bat mitzvah.
Her father, Dennis Rushovich, runs Hartville Group, a pet insurance company out of Canton, Ohio, and Samantha first heard about the need for bulletproof canine vests at her dad's company picnic two years ago.
Sherri Humes of Massillon, Ohio, was there, doing a demonstration to raise money for the Help Us Make Every K-9 Safe fund, a nonprofit group known as H.U.M.E.S. she started as a high school project. Through her nonprofit, Humes purchases the vests at a reduced price. She also helps select the best vest for each animal, choosing a 6-pound K-9 Storm vest for Nomak -- the 18th she has helped provide.
Humes, a volunteer firefighter, made several calls to Fairfield County police departments to find a K-9 unit in need of dog vests and spoke to Kovlakas, who told her about Nomak. Humes traveled to Norwalk yesterday, where she helped Nomak into his new protective apparel and measured officer Thomas Fern's police dog Pasa for a vest that paid for by Northrop Grumman that will arrive within two months.
Kovlakas, who takes Nomak home with him every day and rides with him in a police cruiser at work, said police dogs are considered police officers.
"If someone were to assault the dog, it's the same as assaulting a police officer," he said.
The animals often accompany officers in dangerous situations and should be protected anytime a human police officer is, Kovlakas said.
"The dog doesn't have a choice when we send him into certain situations," he said.
A lot of time and money is invested in training the dogs, which are bred in the Czech Republic and undergo months of federally mandated instruction.
"They went through all the work to learn everything, and people get protection with vests so I think dogs deserve it, too," Samantha said.
Copyright © 2006, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.