Dog ‘Wash-athon’ to Raise Funds for Bay Area K-9s

This weekend, make plans to take your favorite, furry friend to one of 47 Northern California Pet Food Express stores for a doggie wash and dry. The Concord location is 785 Oak Grove Rd.

And not only will you leave with a clean dog, the cost of the wash will be donated to a canine organization whose sole purpose is to keep law enforcement dogs safe. Wash tokens are $15 each.

All day this Saturday and Sunday, 100 percent of dog-washing proceeds at all Bay Area Pet Food Express stores will go to the Police and Working K-9 Foundation – a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization, which helps cities that can't afford to purchase important and life-saving equipment for canines due to budget cuts, raise the funds needed to keep much-valued K-9 cops a part of the city’s police force.

"We are a tiny organization – we couldn't pull any of this off by ourselves," Foundation Co-founder Louise Tully said. “Pet Food Express has partnered with us from the beginning and they have been so supportive."                  

The two-day event aims to raise $150,000 to pay for custom bulletproof canine vests, emergency CPR training, trauma kits and car heat sensors for canine teams throughout California, Tully said.                   

To date, the foundation has raised $365,000 through the Pet Food Express fundraiser. 

Founded five years ago, Police and Working K-9 Foundation is dedicated to providing safety and emergency equipment to canines. In its existence, Tully said the group has re-created the "custom fit" bulletproof vests for canines, with the highest degree of ballistics and comfort. The foundation also has created an eight-hour emergency canine training and treatment class with its own curriculum and a hands-on veterinarian-led lesson in proper care for the canines.

For a list of Pet Food Express Stores, visit petfoodexpress.com/stores. To learn more about the "Cover your K-9" event, visit coveryourk9.org.                  

Bay City News contributed to this story.