Lower Merion K9 Dog To Receive Bulletproof Vest

Image via 28th Infantry Division: Rookie in training.

LOWER MERION, PA -- One local police dog is going to be well protected for his upcoming assignments.

The Lower Merion Township Police Department's K9 officer Rookie is going to receive a bullet-and-stab protective vest, courtesy of a donation from a non-profit.

Vested Interest in K9's Inc., a Massachusetts-based organization which provides vests to police dogs in need around the nation, will provide the gift, they announced in a press release.

The vest for Rookie, a two-year-old German Shepherd, is being sponsored by a fundraiser hosted by the Staten Island Companion Dog Training Club and will be embroidered with the words "Donated by SICDTC, Staten Island, NY."

Delivery is expected within eight to 10 weeks, the release states.

Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. said they had provided 1,800 protective vests, in 49 states, through private and corporate donations, at a cost of more than $1.6 million.

The program is open to dogs in the U.S. actively employed with law enforcement or related agencies who are certified and at least 20 months of age, according to the non-profit.

Donations are vital to the success of the program: a protective vest for single K9 is $1,050, the organization reports.