LIVINGSTON COUNTY: Sheriff Thomas J. Dougherty advises that
Sheriff’s K9 Kane has received body armor. Livingston County Sheriff’s Office
K9 Kane has received a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable
donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. The vest was
sponsored by an Anonymous Sponsor and embroidered with the sentiment “Only the
best protection for man's best friend”. 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 2,700 protective vests in 50 states,
through private and corporate donations, at a cost of over 2.3 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 $950.00.
Each vest has a value between $1,744 – $2,283, 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.
