Pennies for Police Dogs

In February 2000, 10-year-old Stacey Hillman was reading a magazine about Police Dogs needing bulletproof (and stab-resistant) vests. She thought that someone should start raising money for the Police Dogs. So she went to her local Police Department and asked Chief LaBrusciano if she could collect money there for the Police Dogs. He agreed to let her raise money.

Then she went to the County Sheriff Don Eslinger, and he helped, too. While the grown-ups were busy with the legal things, she got busy visiting all the Police Dogs and telling the departments about her new charity. She made collection jugs out of bottles and put a picture of her with a police dog on it. She put these bottles in vet's offices and petstores.

The Chief from her hometown police department had a friend who helped make Stacey's idea an official charity -- called Pennies to Protect Police Dogs. The more money she collected, the more press events she had, and the more people offered to donate and help her with her goal of giving every Police Dog a bulletproof vest.

Stacey travels all around her state to raise money and tell people how important the Police Dogs are. She speaks at schools, and they donate to her charity, too. Since Stacey started her charity, she has raised over $140,000 and purchased 180 bulletproof vests. She has many more K-9 friends that still need to be protected and promises to keep doing her charity until every Police Dog in the whole country has a bulletproof vest.

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