Donation Provides Body Armor For St. Pete Police K9

ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- St. Petersburg Police Department's K9 Renzo will receive a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from the nonprofit organization Vested Interest in K9s Inc.

K9 Renzo's vest is sponsored by an anonymous sponsor and will be embroidered with the sentiment "Honoring those who served and sacrificed." Delivery is expected within eight to 10 weeks.

Vested Interest in K9s Inc., located in East Taunton, Massachusetts, in dedicated to providing bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States.

The nonprofit 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. has provided more than 2,900 protective vests in 50 states through private and corporate donations valued at $5.7 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 and $2,283 and a five-year warranty. There are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States.

For more information, visited the Vested Interest in K9s website.

Image via St. Petersburg Police