City Police Dogs Get Ballistic Vests After Recent Injury, Burbank K-9 Fatality

[Editor’s note: The original version of this article stated that six of Pasadena’s K-9s were issued vests, but that was incorrect. In fact, only three received vests because one is set to retire next month and the other two are non-apprehension dogs. We apologize for this error.]

The Pasadena Police Department has outfitted all three of its dual-purpose patrol K-9s with new ballistic vests designed to shield their vital organs and help regulate body temperature during field operations, the department announced  this week.

The vests were purchased entirely with community donations raised by the Pasadena Police Foundation, according to the department. No public funds were used.

The department said the decision to acquire the protective gear followed two incidents that underscored the dangers faced by police service dogs: the on-duty injury of Pasadena K-9 Rex during a Christmas Day 2023 burglary response, and the fatal shooting of Burbank Police K-9 Spike in November 2025.

On December 25, 2023, Pasadena patrol officers responded to a burglary in progress at a 99 Cents Only store on the 1700 block of East Colorado Boulevard, according to the department and independent news reports at the time. Officer Ryan Goetz and his K-9 partner Rex were called in to assist after the suspect refused to surrender.

Rex was deployed to locate the individual in a storage area. During the encounter, Rex sustained a two-inch laceration on the left side of his snout after being struck, police said at the time. Officer Goetz evacuated Rex and administered first aid before rushing him to an emergency veterinary facility.

Lt. Monica Cuellar of the Pasadena Police Department said in a statement at the time that Rex “played a pivotal role in ensuring officer safety.”

The suspect, identified by police as Jose Soto, surrendered and was taken into custody. He faced charges of burglary and injury to a peace officer animal, according to the department. Rex, a Dutch Shepherd, made a full recovery and returned to duty. The department said Rex was awarded the Gold Line of Duty Medal.

The danger to police dogs was underscored again on November 22, 2025, when Burbank Police K-9 Spike, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, was fatally shot while searching for a suspect who had fled a traffic stop near the 5 Freeway, according to multiple news reports. Spike was wearing a ballistic vest at the time but the gunfire proved fatal.

Pasadena’s K-9 unit consists of six dogs — Chase, Knoert, Barry, Rex, Edo, and Pepa — that assist with building and vehicle searches, evidence recovery, narcotics investigations, and explosive detection sweeps, according to the department.

Handlers and their K-9 partners are currently training with the new vests to ensure they remain effective in the field, the press release said.

The Pasadena Police Foundation, which funded the vests, was established in 1992 to support police department programs and foster community-police engagement. The Foundation helped establish Pasadena’s first K-9 unit and continues to fund the program through its annual Chief’s Breakfast fundraiser, individual donations, and sale of K-9 plush toys, according to its website.

Most law enforcement agencies do not have dedicated budgets for K-9 protective equipment and rely on external funding from nonprofits, grants, and community donations, according to Brady’s K9 Fund, a national organization that provides vests to police dogs.

The new vests are now in the hands of handlers. Whether they will face the kind of test Rex endured remains an open question — one the department hopes the new equipment can answer.