Charity Outfits Police Dog With Bullet-Proof And Knife-Proof Vest For Duty

Odin, a K9 in the Petersburg Police Department, is to be the recipient of a protective vest from a national non-profit group named Vested Interest in K9S Inc.

This announcement was made recently, and the vest is expected to arrive in a few weeks. It is made of bulletproof armor that is also able to guard against stab wounds.

This charity has been in operation for 12-years and has donated body armor to canines in police departments across the county. Its initiative includes dogs of at least 20 months in age that are currently on active duty with an official law enforcement agency. These vests are custom-fitted to each dog and are certified protection according to the National Institute of Justice, with the following embroidered: Born to Love- Trained to Serve- Loyal Always.

They are also equipped with heavy-duty zippers and Velcro snap closures which makes putting them on and taking them off easy. Their highly durable material gives their organs maxim coverage, yet they are lightweight, at under 5 pounds, and are breathable. At the sides are their police tags so they can be easily identified.

The vests are covered by donations, and one donation of $960 is enough for one vest. The cost to make them ranges from $1744-$2283. The organization has donated over 4300 vests to police department dogs since 2009 that are valued at a whopping $6.9 million. The organization also provides health insurance for police dogs along with first aid and NARCAN kits.

Image Credit: Vested Interest in K9s Inc.