A local dog club is helping to make the lives of Pennsylvania K9 units a little safer.

Lancaster Kennel Club has joined its Delaware County counterpart to supply all 23 state police dog teams with canine first aid kits.

The specialized kits, designed by a border patrol agent who also was a veterinary technician, are used by the federal government and the military. They include such items as dog-sized splints for broken legs and tools to pull glass out of paws.

Each kit costs around $100, according to Marge Remolde, a member of Delaware County Kennel Club. Lancaster is donating 10 kits, Delaware County the other 13. The kennel clubs are spending about $2,500 in all. The money comes from dog show entrance fees and handling classes.

Representatives of the state police will accept the kits at a formal presentation at noon on March 15 at the Celtic Classic Dog Show, a four-day event in the Toyota Arena of the York Expo Center.

Bernie Ferry, vice president of Lancaster Kennel Club, said the local organization is always looking to help dogs.

"For us, it's pretty much what we do to have fun, and it also helps our canine companions," Ferry said.

Remolde's kennel club has donated 14 K9 bulletproof vests to law enforcement agencies over the past few years, including several to the state police. The group also has given away K9 oxygen masks to fire companies in Delaware County.

The project's genesis was simple. Remolde said she recently asked the state police if their K9 teams needed anything, and "first aid kits" was the answer.

"We are very pleased that we will be able to do this for the state police," Remolde said. "The fact that our kennel club has been very much involved in trying to be community oriented with the K9 population, we wanted to continue that even though we wouldn't be alone and we would not be in our own territory."

"We're coming from all parts of the state so that we could join together to help something that really services the whole state," Remolde said.

E-mail: myoder@lnpnews.com