Ten-year-old Brady Snakovsky was struck by the fact that police dogs did not automatically receive bulletproof vests, and he felt compelled to take action. This realization occurred while he was watching a show with his family nearly two years ago and noticed that the K-9 was not as protected as its handler. Motivated by his concern, Brady founded the K9 Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds for supplying bulletproof vests to police and military dogs.
Brady initiated his mission by creating a GoFundMe page, which enabled him to purchase the first four vests. Since then, he has made significant progress, having provided over 257 dogs with vests and raising more than $315,000. His contributions have reached dogs in 23 states across the United States and even in Canada. Additionally, he has supplied vests for military dogs serving in Afghanistan.
Brady’s mother, Leah Tornabene, expressed her surprise and pride in her son’s ability, at the age of eight, to recognize the issue and take steps to address it. She highlighted the importance of donations for police forces with K9 units, as they heavily rely on support from the community.
Among the many dogs Brady has helped, one particular canine named K-9 Benny holds a special place in his heart. The gratitude expressed by Benny’s handler, who was moved to tears, left a lasting impact on Brady. He has since developed a friendship with Benny’s handler.
In addition to his non-profit work, Brady embarked on a local project by creating a dog park in Brunswick, Ohio, near his hometown. This park is closed one day a week to provide police dogs and their handlers with a dedicated space for training. Recognizing the need for such facilities, Brady and members of his community restored an existing park and installed dog agility equipment for training purposes.
Brady’s ultimate goal is to help as many police dogs as possible through both the dog park and his non-profit organization. Seeing the smiles on the handlers’ faces brings him great joy and serves as a motivation to continue his efforts.