Sheriff Office's Dogs Get New Body Armor

TAMPA, FL — Joker, Smoke, Lycan and Bandit — all K9 members of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office — will receive protective vests thanks to a charitable donation, officials said Thursday.

The donations comes through the charitable group Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. The individual sponsor for the gift to the county has decided to remain anonymous.

Vested Interest in K9s describes its mission as providing "bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States."

The group says it has provided more than 2,600 protective vests for dogs across the country for about $2.1 million. A donation of $950 provides one vest.

There are about $30,000 dogs that are part of law enforcement departments in the United States.

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