Norwich — As October approached, and young Baylee Pangburn started thinking about what monthlong fundraiser she would do this year to celebrate her birth month, she knew she wanted to do something for the three Norwich police K-9 dogs.

She called the police department and offered to raise money to buy bulletproof vests for one or more of the dogs. But they proved out of her reach, and she learned the department had obtained funding for the vests elsewhere.

What about raising money for one of the three hot-car sensor systems the department hoped to buy?

Baylee, who turned 11 on Oct. 3, asked family and friends not to buy her presents but instead donate toward her latest cause. She stood outside the Stop & Shop Supermarket in Norwich asking for donations. She spent the entire month seeking donations and ended up with $800 to purchase the $799 hot-car sensor.

The sensor would set off an alarm that would tell a K-9 police officer if the cruiser housing the K-9 dog is getting dangerously hot. The officer would be alerted through his personal radio, and the alarm system would roll down the cruiser’s rear windows — which have grates to prevent the dogs from jumping out — and would set off the cruiser’s siren, alerting anyone nearby that there could be a problem.

Police Chief Patrick Daley on Wednesday presented Baylee with a thank-you gift, one of the pink police patches worn by officers throughout October for breast cancer awareness month. Daley said the alarms will help if a K-9 officer is responding to an incident and is drawn away from the parked cruiser in an emergency for any length of time.

The three Norwich K-9 officers escorted Baylee and her aunt, Lexi Garcia of Norwich, to the chief’s office and posed for photos with the girl. Officer Ken Wright handles German shepherd K-9 Ozzy, Officer Matt Goddu handles Lab retriever Carlton, and Officer Scott Meikle has German shepherd Kimo.

Baylee also handed them Kong bones, each wrapper labeled with the dog’s name.

“We really appreciate it,” Goddu said of Baylee’s donation.

“It’s a necessity for the dogs,” Meikle said. “Eventually, we’ll have three sensors.”

Chief Daley said the department would “gladly” accept other donations for the remaining two sensors.

Baylee, daughter of Cynthia and David Pangburn and a student at the Integrated Day Charter School in Norwich, started using her birthday month as a fundraiser when she was 7. She raised money for Madonna Place in Norwich, the St. Vincent de Paul Place soup kitchen, Yale Children’s Hospital and, last year, for animals in the Norwich dog pound.

Baylee has two mixed-breed rescue dogs, Max, 5, and Hadlee, 2, at home.

“People like donating to help animals,” Baylee said of her effort.

c.bessette@theday.com