K-9 Mia gets helmet for protection

ROGERSVILLE — When Police Lt. Lucas Stansell and his K-9 Mija are called into action to track a person through the woods, or to go into a home to execute a search warrant, Stansell makes sure his partner is suited up.

He puts a bulletproof vest on the 2-year-old Belgian Malinois (MALin- wah) and now a lightweight helmet to protect the dog’s eyes and head.

The helmet, which weighs approximately one pound, covers the dog’s head and eyes. It also comes with a cover for its mouth. The cover over the dog’s eyes is clear, so the dog can see and its ears are not covered.

“The safety of these dogs and protecting them is becoming more and more important,” Stansell said. “There is a lot of money put into these dogs. As a handler, she’s just like your child. You want to provide her as much protection as possible.”

Mija was outfitted with her bullet proof vest, which cost $3,800, in September 2025.

She received her helmet thanks to the support of the owner of DAK’s Dog Ranch in Killen and several other supporters of dogs and police dogs.

“Every year we have a Christmas party and we find a cause,” said Sabrina Trussell, who owns the ranch. “During the party we decided to raise money for Mija to afford a helmet for her.”

Trussell said it took just a few minutes, and the amount to afford the helmet was raised that night.

“It was a great feeling to help her, and it was even better when I called him to ask when he was going to pick up the check,” she said.

Four weeks after receiving the check, Mija’s helmet arrived.

Stansell said Mija is the only police dog in northwest Alabama, and quite possibly the Tennessee Valley, to have a helmet.

Stansell said he had seen the helmets offered by vendors at a police conference in Nashville, Tennessee.

The idea further cemented when he and Mija were called to assist the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office track a suspect who had fled from deputies.

“We were in the woods, and I stopped her to give her a break, and when I did, I looked down and I noticed that there was some old, rusted chicken wire right at her face,” he said. “I started thinking about if that was stuck in her eye, that would end her career. So that’s when I thought more about [the helmet].”

While Stansell sees Mija not only as a partner, but a part of his family, he said a good amount of money is put into police dogs.

He said police dogs can range in cost from $10,000 up to $20,000 and that’s before they go through the proper training and are given any protective gear, kennels, food and health care.

“These dogs aren’t cheap,” he said. “Right now, I have a $6,000 budget for her each year.”

Stansell said each time he puts the helmet on Mija, he thinks about how the money was raised so quickly for her helmet.

“It’s an awesome feeling to see the amount of people who care about law enforcement, but also the canines and what they do for us and everybody else,” he said. “A lot of things people don’t see every day is what these dogs do. They’re truly an amazing partner to have.”