SOUTH BEND, Ind. –The South Bend Police Department donated a K-9 unit vehicle to the Alexandria Indiana Police Department.

The Alexandria Police Department recently stopped using their K-9 after the vehicle they used for the K-9 unit was considered unsafe to drive and out of service.

Alexandria Police didn’t risk their K-9s safety by putting them in regular police vehicles without the proper setup needed to ensure their safety.

Officers say regular police vehicles aren’t safe enough for K-9s because they don’t have a special cage insert that has a fan to keep the dogs cool or a space for them to lie down.

The K-9 unit vehicle that was donated was a spare the South Bend’s K-9 crew has which allows them to remain in full force.