Roger Fillion, Rocky Mountain News - Wednesday, October 26, 2005
COLORADO SPRINGS - They trekked here to peddle their products: bomb-proof light bulbs, uniforms for police dogs and other "working" canines, as well as backpacks that can decontaminate a Humvee infected with anthrax.

More than 70 exhibitors from Colorado and elsewhere showcased their goods at a conference sponsored by the National Homeland Defense Foundation, a Colorado Springs nonprofit.
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Perhaps the most unusual product on display was the K9 Pro Wear uniform - a uniform for police dogs and similar canines. The clothing is designed to protect the wearer from sharp objects as well as natural pests such as mosquitoes or fleas.

Canadian-based K9 Pro Wear also pitched cool packs to keep working dogs cooler and working longer on a hot day. The packs fit inside the uniform.

"We cool down hot dogs," quipped John Malyna, Director of K9 Pro Wear. The company deliberately doesn't offer dogs one type of protection. "We don't make bulletproof vests," said Malyna, adding that working dogs typically get injured by, say, knocking against a sharp object.

Replacing a stricken or dead dog can be pricey for a police force or other agency. Malyna said it typically costs $50,000 to acquire, train and maintain a dog over its lifetime. "To lose the dog is to lose the investment," said Malyna.

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