Next Monday, six more Erie County Sheriff's Office K9s are expected to receive body armor through a national non-profit called Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.
Vested Interest provides bullet-protective and stab-protective vests to law enforcement agencies with K9 units. The vests can sometimes be expensive or cost-prohibitive to departments, ranging in cost from $1,744 to $2,283. Vested Interested is able to provide a K9 vest for every $950 in donations.
The vests being provided to Erie County K9s are sponsored by the Staten Island Companion Dog Training Club. Each vest will be embroidered with "Gifted by SICDTC, Staten Island, NY."
The following dogs will receive vests through this donation:
- Cali - narcotics detection and police services, the first female dog in service with ECSO
- Ciro - explosives detection and police services
- Drago - explosives detection and police services
- Haso - narcotics detection and police services
- Loki - explosive detection and police services
- Monty - narcotics detection and police services
Vested Interest has already given vests to Erie County K9s in the past. Once these new vests come in, eleven dogs in the department will have protective gear from the charity.
More information on Vested Interest, along with volunteer and donation opportunities, can be found here.
