A weekend dog wash that aims to raise $150,000 will donate all of its proceeds to help benefit canine units, including one within the SFPD.

The event will take place at Pet Food Express stores.  It serves a dual purpose- getting the stinky dog smell off your pet and helping provide much needed funds for law enforcement dogs.  The full cost of the wash will be donated.

The primary benefit organization is called the Police and Working K-9 Foundation.  The Foundation provides funding to a number of local units, including those at the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Department and the SFPD.

The organization helps out in a number of ways.  In some cases they help provide police dogs with safety vests, bullet-proof protection and other life saving equipment.   Many law enforcement agencies continue to deal with budget cuts.  They are simply unable to allocate monies toward these types of expenditures.

The SFPD, for example, has a total of 11 canine teams.  A spokesperson for the department said they feel lucky to be one of the beneficiaries of the dog wash.  They look forward to receiving trauma kits and emergency CPR training for canine handlers.

The foundation has reportedly been around for about five years.  In the past 60 months they have provided classes for about 405 law enforcement members.  The classes include how to properly care for these specialized animals.   They have also reformulated a custom-fit bullet proof dog vest.  It has been optimized for safety and comfort.

They have also developed a system that alerts an officer if their patrol car becomes too hot for a police dog.  There are times when police and sheriff's deputies need to leave their cars unattended.  They are not always able to bring their animals with them.  This device alerts the officer as soon as the car's interior reaches a certain temperature.

Each device costs about $1,200 to install.  They are very important in terms of canine health and safety.

Law enforcement agencies have pointed out that police dogs help in many different ways.  This includes sniffing bags at the local airport.  Their noses are much more sensitive than those of their human counterparts.  They are able to detect narcotics, explosives and even assist in searches for missing people.

The SFPD said they have actively helped to promote the fundraising event and looks forward to partnering with the organization for many years to come.