A San Leandro police dog named Jambo was killed in the line of duty earlier this year. He was one of about 100 Bay Area police dogs that work without bulletproof vests.

A vest might have saved him from the struggle with a criminal that ended up killing him, Western States Police Canine Association spokeswoman Louise Tully said Friday.

“That’s the thing with these vests. You wouldn’t send an officer out in a dangerous situation without one,” Tully said. Since the form-fitted vests are about $1,200 each, police departments have only been able to protect about half of their estimated 200 dogs, she said.

The nonprofit association and Pet Food Express are working together to raise money to protect all the Bay Area K9s.

“We’ve already received three checks with really nice, handwritten notes for about $125, and I don’t think these people even have dogs,” said Tully, who has a puppy and an adult German shepherd. “I had tears in my eyes.”

For people who want more bang out of their buck, they can buy $15 tokens for a self-service dog wash to any Pet Food Express in the Bay Area on Saturday. People can also buy three tokens, which are good for any day of the year, and get a fourth for free. Pet Food Express will donate 100 percent of the proceeds toward buying vests for the K9s. Many of the stores on Saturday will have law enforcement agents with K9s, demonstrating what the dogs can do. Tully will be in Campbell with her dogs, the adult Nika and the puppy Echo. Sheriff’s deputies from the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office will be at the San Carlos store between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., showing off their bloodhound detective named Morgan.

“If I showed you a picture of him, you’d just go ‘ohhhhh!’,” Tully said. Donations can also be made at Pet Food Express registers, through the association’s Web site at http://www.wspca.net or at its P.O. Box 620629 in Woodside 94062.

LINK/VIDEO