7-Year-Old Pitches In To Help Local Police Department's K-9 Stay Safe
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- To say little 7-year-old Morgan Blann kinda likes police officers simply wouldn't be true.
Sure, the uniform is a dead giveaway, but there's more. Her house is a virtual shrine to the men and women in blue. Patches, pictures, and paraphernalia permeate the place.
Her mom says it's all she talks about.
"I think she wants to help people," Lauren Blann tells CBS2's Scott Rapoport. "I think she looks up to the police officers."
"If you're getting hurt, you can just dial them and they help you," Morgan said.
Nearest and dearest to the adorable child's heart are canine cops -- law enforcement's four legged friends. She both adores them and worries about them, especially "if they get hurt."
So this year for her birthday, Morgan decided instead of getting presents for herself, she asked friends and family to donate money so she could buy a bullet proof vest for a police dog.
In case, she said, something really bad happens.
"The dog will be okay because it didn't hit his skin it hit his vest," Morgan said.
She got the idea after talking to a friend, whose father -- Lt. Bill Swanhart -- is with the Robbinsville Township Police Department.
The department had just gotten a K-9 named Quori who needed a vest which cost about $1,000.
Morgan jumped at the chance and donated all the money she raised; a whopping $1,700. It was enough money and then some to get Quori suited up and protected.
The department says the vests should be arriving in about a month.
"That's outstanding," Lt. Swanhart said. "Words can't even express what she did."
For Morgan, who hopes to one day be a police officer herself, the gift of giving has given her a special feeling.
"Happy," she said.
Morgan tells Scott another great part about all of this is because of the attention she's been getting, her bigger brother is very jealous and now he wants to do it too.
