Manchester K9 Lynk Receives Vest

MANCHESTER, NJ -- When Manchester K9 officer Lynk hits the street to sniff out drug or track a person, the German shepherd will now be protected, the department said in a new release.

K9 Lynk will receive a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from nonprofit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., the department said. K9 Lynk’s vest is sponsored by Joanne Wright of Manchester and will be embroidered with the sentiment, “In loving memory of Wayne T. Wright - Be safe.” Delivery is expected within eight to 10 weeks.

Vested Interest in K9s is a 501c (3) charity located in East Taunton, Mass., whose 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 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. provided more than 1,700 protective vests, in 49 states, through private and corporate donations at a cost of more than $1.6 million. All vests are custom made in the USA by Armor Express in Central Lake, Mich.

“This is the second time that Vested Interest in K9s has come through with a protective vest donation for our department, and we’re grateful for their continued support,” Manchester Police Chief Lisa Parker said.

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 $1,050.00. Each vest has a value between $1,795 – $2,234 and a five-year warranty, and an average weight of 4-5 lbs. There are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States. For more information or to learn about volunteer opportunities, please call 508-824-6978. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provides information, lists events, and accepts tax-deductible donations of any denomination at www.vik9s.org or mailed to P.O. Box 9 East Taunton, MA 02718.

The Manchester Township Police K-9 Unit was formed in January of 2015 and includes Officer Marc Micciulla and K-9 Storm, as well as Officer Steven Wendruff and K-9 Lynk.