The Philadelphia Police Foundation is going to the dogs – Philadelphia Police K9 Unit dogs to be exact.

The nonprofit Foundation announced today that it is providing $7,500 in funding to the Philadelphia Police Department’s K9 Unit to purchase and install temperature monitoring and alert systems that ensure the dogs are comfortable and safe while on duty inside police vehicles.

Maureen Rush, Foundation Board President and Vice President for Public Safety and Superintendent of Police at the University of Pennsylvania, said the money for the new equipment was made possible through a joint effort between the Foundation and funds raised by the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge No. 5.

“The Police Foundation is grateful to the FOP for partnering with us to raise the funds necessary to purchase the equipment,” Rush said. “The police department’s K9 Unit is an elite unit of highly trained and efficient officers and canines. It is important that the dogs are given the best care and equipment for maximum productivity.”

Capt. Mark Everitt, Commanding Officer of the K9 Unit, said the new equipment is important to keep the dogs from getting too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer. He said the dog’s partner is automatically alerted if the interior of the vehicle exceeds specific preset temperatures. In addition to temperature monitoring, the units have a remote system that allows the police officer to open the rear door of the vehicle so the canine can quickly exit and assist the officer.

“These heating and cooling monitoring systems are extremely important when it comes to keeping our canine partners comfortable and alert at all times,” Capt. Everitt said. “On behalf of our K9 Unit, I want to thank the Philadelphia Police Foundation and the FOP for their support and concern for the well-being of our canine officers.”

The Philadelphia Police Foundation (www.phillypolicefoundation.org) was established in 1999 by civic and corporate leaders in the Philadelphia region as “A Force Behind the Shield.” The Foundation’s primary focus is to assist the officers of the Philadelphia Police Department by funding urgently needed special programs, equipment and community endeavors not provided in the City of Philadelphia’s annual budget. Since February 2013, the Foundation has contributed over $420,000 to the Philadelphia Police Department.