Sandy Springs Police K-9 Awarded Bulletproof Vest

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Thanks to a nonprofit organization and a citizen, a K-9 officer with the Sandy Springs Police Department has a new layer of protection while working the city streets.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. and Cumming resident Joe Raddack joined forces to provide K-9 Django with a bullet and stab-proof ballistic vest, the value of which is $950.

Sandy Springs Officer James Reynnells and K-9 Django have worked together as a team since September 2014. The Sandy Springs Police Department has a total of four K-9s assigned to its Traffic Unit.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is a 501c(3) charity located in East Taunton, Massachusetts, and 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.

Each vest costs $950 and has a five-year warranty.

The nonprofit was established in 2009 to assist law enforcement agencies with this potentially lifesaving body armor for their four legged K-9 officers. Through private and corporate sponsorships, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provided over 1,349 law enforcement dogs in 49 states with protective vests since 2009 at a cost of over $1.2 million dollars.

For more information, visit the organization’s website.

Residents can mail tax-deductible donations to: Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., P.O. Box 9 East Taunton, MA 02718 or make those contributions online.

Photo credit: Sandy Springs Police Department’s Facebook page