By Alana Davitt | Inside Business | July 12, 2018
Photo courtesy of Jake Jacocks
A funding pledge from The Breeden Company will help protect Virginia Beach police dogs for the next five years.
The real estate development firm has promised to pay for a ballistic vest for every new canine member of the Virginia Beach Police Department once they’ve completed their training and begin active service.
Each vest costs about $2,500 and starting next year the company expects to buy two per year, totaling $20,000.
“Years ago, I read an article about police dogs getting shot in the line of duty and I offered to buy vests for our local canine unit but I was turned down because back then they were too heavy,” said Ramon Breeden Jr., founder, president and CEO of the Breeden Company.
But when the Virginia Beach Police Foundation started working with the nonprofit Spike’s K9 Fund to outfit all 16 of its current dogs with individually fitted, new lightweight protection, Breeden was reminded of his earlier concern.
He and Timothy Faulkner, chief operating officer of Breeden Property Management, approached the city together and officials were much more interested this time.
The final agreement will be run by Faulkner out of the company’s trust foundation. Breeden hopes the partnership will continue to grow in years and into neighboring cities.
“I’m an animal lover,” Breeden said. “I have a farm where we keep rescue animals – dogs, cats, goats and more. Dogs need someone to speak for them and I’m in a position to do it.”
Helping animals has been a lifelong calling for Breeden. He was even awarded man of the year in the city of Gloucester for the spaying/neutering of 40 cats.
“It’s obvious Mr. Breeden is an incredibly generous man and corporate citizen,” said Jake Jacocks, a former Beach police chief and past president of the police foundation. Jacocks has been helping Breeden in its partnership with the foundation.
Besides providing ballistic vests to police dogs, the foundation, a nonprofit established in the early 2000s, raised money to erect the law enforcement memorial on 35th Street at the Oceanfront. It also offers scholarships to police officers attending college and provides support to families of officers killed in the line of duty.
“We’re lucky to have connections with guys who have served on the police force,” Breeden said. “Virginia Beach has got the greatest police in the world.”
Jacocks, a canine officer and his dog visited the company’s office July 13 to formally accept the pledge.
