METRO Police Department K9’s Reno, Hank, Alex, Aimy, River, Jesy, & Soptik will receive bullet and stab protective vests thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.
METRO K-9's are dual-purpose dogs and valued members of our team. “We are thrilled to receive this
donation and the vests are an important tool in our crime fighting effort,”
said MPD Chief Vera Bumpers.
The K9’s vests are sponsored by the late
Otto W. Vollenweider of Bolingbrook, IL and will be embroidered with the
sentiment “May you always stay safe - Otto W. Vollenweider”. Delivery is
expected within eight to ten weeks.
Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is a 501c (3) charity located in East
Taunton, MA whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and
other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the
United States. The non-profit was established in 2009 to assist law enforcement
agencies with this potentially lifesaving body armor for their four-legged K9
officers. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provided over 1,800
protective vests, in 49 states, through private and corporate donations, at a
cost of over 1.6 million dollars. All vests are custom made in the USA by Armor
Express in Central Lake, MI.
The program is open to dogs actively employed in
the U.S. with law enforcement or related agencies who are certified and at
least 20 months of age. New K9 graduates, as well as K9s with expired vests,
are eligible to participate.
The donation to provide one protective vest for a
law enforcement K9 is $1,050.00. Each vest has a value between $1,795 – $2,234
and a five-year warranty, and an average weight of 4-5 lbs. There are an
estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States. For more
information or to learn about volunteer opportunities, please call
508-824-6978. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provides information, lists events,
and accepts tax-deductible donations of any denomination at www.vik9s.org or
mailed to P.O. Box 9 East Taunton, MA 02718.
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