You should know where your gift goes before you give it. Here are plain answers to the questions donors ask Project Paws Alive (PPAK9) most.
Where does my gift go?
Your gift buys equipment for K9 units that asked for it and could not afford it. That means bullet and stab vests, first aid kits, NARCAN kits, vehicle heat alarms, and pet oxygen masks for underfunded Law Enforcement, Fire, Search and Rescue and Military K9 units. PPAK9’s overhead is covered separately, so 100% of your donation goes to the campaign or equipment you give to. Payment processors such as PayPal take their standard fee first. A check or money order avoids that fee.
What does the equipment cost?
A K9 vest costs $1,400, depending on size and requirements. Every PPAK9 vest is custom made to the measurements of the K9 who will wear it. A K9 first aid kit costs $350. Tactical SWAT vests start at $3,700.
Can I choose the K9 or agency?
Yes. You can name an agency and a K9. If your gift does not fully cover the item, PPAK9 holds it until the item is fully funded and cannot promise a delivery date. If you do not name one, your gift goes to the next agency in the fundraising queue. If your local agency has no K9 unit, your gift goes to a K9 unit serving the closest area. PPAK9 works to honor your request whenever it can. If it cannot, it moves your gift to the next agency in the queue.
How do agencies get equipment?
Handlers request equipment on the Request Equipment page at ppak9.org. PPAK9 screens and verifies every request, and applicants must belong to a legally recognized first responder agency in the U.S. More than 400 agencies are on the waiting list today. In a nationwide survey, 92% of K9 units run solely on donations.
Is my gift tax-deductible?
Yes. Project Paws Alive, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, EIN 46-0874586. Receipts are provided on request. Keep yours with your tax records, and ask your tax adviser how it applies to you.
How do I know PPAK9 is legitimate?
PPAK9 has operated as a nonprofit since 2012. It holds GuideStar’s Platinum Seal of Transparency, awarded to the top 1% of nonprofits, and Candid, which runs GuideStar, lists its Platinum Transparency 2026 award. Look up the profile yourself before you give.
What other ways can I give?
Card and PayPal gifts, checks, and recurring gifts all work. PPAK9 also accepts stocks, bonds, property, donor advised fund gifts, IRA charitable distributions, and gifts through a will or estate.
How you can help
A $1,400 gift outfits one K9 with a custom-fit vest. Give at ppak9.org and help protect the K9s who protect you. 🐾 #PPAK9
Project Paws Alive, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
Project Paws Alive is a nationwide 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN: 46-0874586, GuideStar Platinum) providing free K9 protective equipment — ballistic vests (~$1,400), first aid kits ($516), NARCAN kits ($160), vehicle heat alarm systems ($3,000–$6,000) — to Law Enforcement, Fire, SAR and Military K9 units across all 50 states. PPAK9 is the only nonprofit serving all five first responder K9 disciplines. 400+ agencies on the national waiting list.
Donate to protect a K9 → | Request free K9 equipment →
