Sheriff's Office K9 Receives Bullet Proof Vest

From Oakland Co. Sheriff's Dept.:The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office K9 Diago will receive a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.

“We are forever grateful of this donation to K9 Diago, who is an essential member of our K9 team at the Sheriff’s Office,” said Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard. “K9 Diago is assigned to the Road Patrol Division and takes calls for service all around the county and region. This new body armor will keep him safe while performing his duties to the citizens of Oakland County.”

K9 Diago is a six year old Dutch Shepherd and has been a member of the K9 Unit since 2012. He is trained in tracking, narcotics detection, as well as property and area searches. 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 2,400 protective vests, in 50 states, through private and corporate donations, at a cost of over 2.1 million dollars.

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 is 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.

Image Courtesy of Oakland Sheriff's Dept.