The Anonymous Donor
PSD Karma - The recipient of a custom-fit K9 Storm Patrol Swat Vest through an extremely generous donation.
Est. Read Time: 3 Mins
It all started around Christmas in 2019. Our holiday shut down was just around the corner and everyone was looking forward to the staff party and upcoming holidays. I was sitting at my desk, getting ready to head out for the evening when my phone started to buzz in my pocket.
“Incoming call from - Anonymous”
At K9 Storm, this isn’t out of the ordinary. When dealing with government agencies, almost all the caller ID’s are blocked. Without hesitation, I answer.
“Hello K9 Storm, how may I help you?”, I say instinctively, as I begin to log back into my computer.
But I don’t hear a response. There was nothing. Only silence.
“Hello?”, I say one more time, then slowly a low voice answers on the other side.
“You may not remember me…but I’ve spoken with you before.”
A shiver trickles down the entire length of my spine. This man meant business and was not here to mess around.
He continues, “In 2011, I donated one of your ballistic vests to my local police department, and I’m ready to do it again.”
My tension quickly fades. I know exactly who this man is.
“It’s been a long time hasn’t it?”, I say with a chuckle, “It’s good to hear from you again ___. How are you?”
PSD Jero
——
The next day I receive another phone call the moment I walk in the door.
“No way, we can’t possibly accept”, a calm and rational voice says on the other side, “that’s way too generous of him.”
The handler from a police department in Western Canada was stunned. Who, without prompting, goes out of their way to donate something to an entire K9 Unit without even checking with them?
“He insisted”, I explained, “his mind was made up before he called.”
"I know, but 4 ballistic vests? How did he even know we needed them?”
“The newspaper”, I said, “he saw an article with your dogs wearing something else…he couldn’t believe that they were not fully protected. He just kept saying, “I want to do what’s best for the dogs”.
The handler continues, “I should’ve called him. I was thinking about him the other day too, but kept putting it off.”
The truth is, we never want anyone to have K9 Storm Gear if they don’t want it. It does a disservice to everyone: the handler, the donor, and the dog. If you receive something but don’t plan on using it, why accept the donation in the first place?
“You don’t need to accept his donation”, I said, “we can always give it to a neighboring department if you prefer, I’m sure there are plenty of teams in the area that would love to have it.”
I think it took us both a second to realize how incredible this donation actually was. Out of the blue, an old friend committed to purchasing 4 K9 Storm Patrol Swat Vests for this hander and his team. He could’ve spent that money on literally anything else but chose to protect the dogs in his community.
The officer pauses, and exhales, “No…that won’t be necessary. We know all about your stuff, we just never thought our department could afford it for the team. We are grateful beyond belief.”
—
PSD Kato
A few months later, I opened up my email and received this.
“Vests fit amazing. Thank you for all you do. We are going to have a professional photographer take a few photos for us to give to ___. I think he will really love it.”
In the end, our donor refused to receive recognition for his contribution to his community. He wanted no press coverage, and no mention of his name anywhere. In fact, he even turned down a hypothetical lunch the next time we were in the area.
“Oh no, I could never accept. I don’t need anything special. A cup of coffee is more than good enough for me.”
This is the type of amazing people I get an opportunity to work with. Selfless, salt of the earth, and genuine.
They do whatever is best for the dogs.
