Montgomery County K-9 'Major' Receives New Body Armor

Montgomery Township, PA -- Montgomery Township Police Department’s K9 Major has received a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., the police department announced in a press release. 

The vest was sponsored by Hilltown Dog Training Club of Hilltown, according to the release. 

On the side of the vest reads a brief inscription: “Hilltown Dog Training Club in Memory of Ofc. Ward Thomas."

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is a 501c(3) charity located in East Taunton, MA 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 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 1,600 protective vests, in 49 states, through private and corporate donations, at a cost of over 1.5 million dollars. All vests are custom made in the USA by Armor Express in Central Lake, MI.
 
The program is open to dogs actively employed in the U.S. with law enforcement or related agencies who are certified and at least 19 months of age. New K9 graduates, as well as K9s with expired vests, are eligible to participate.

The suggested donation to provide one protective vest for a law enforcement K9 is $1,050. Each vest has a value between $1,795 – $2,234 and a five-year warranty. 

There are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States.