Delaware Police Department K9 Ollie will receive a new bullet and stab protective vest, thanks to a donation from a local resident and a program operated by Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.
The vest, to be delivered in about eight weeks, is sponsored by Greg Nobis of Delaware. The vest will be embroidered with the statement, “This gift of protection provided by Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.”
Ollie, age 3, is a Belgian Malinois handled by Officer Adam Graham. Ollie has been with the police department for about two years, according to Capt. Adam Moore. He began training in the summer of 2015 and started patrol work that fall.
Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is a non-profit charity located in East Taunton, Massachusetts. Its 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 2,600 protective vests for law enforcement dogs in all 50 states through private and corporate donations at a cost of over $2.1 million.
The program is open to dogs actively employed in the United States with law enforcement or related agencies who are certified and at least 20 months old. 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 and $2,234 and comes with a five-year warranty. The average weight of a protective vest is four to five pounds. There are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States.
For more information or to learn about volunteer opportunities with Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., visit www.vik9s.org.
