Montco K9 Dog Gets Body Armor, Thanks To Generous Donation

Lower Merion, PA -- Lower Merion Township Police Department’s K9 “Rookie” has received a bullet- and stab-protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from the non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., the company announced in a press release Tuesday.

K9 Rookie’s vest was sponsored through a fundraiser hosted by the Staten Island Companion Dog Training Club and embroidered with the sentiment “Donated by SICDTC, Staten Island, NY," Vested Interest said.

The non-profit was established in 2009 to assist law enforcement agencies with this potentially lifesaving body armor for their four-legged K9 officers, the press release states.

Since its inception, Vested Interest said they had provided more than 1,900 protective vests, in 49 states, through private and corporate donations, at a cost of More than $1.7 million.

Earlier this summer, Rookie’s fellow LMPD K9, “Murphy,” also received body armor through Vested Interest.

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, according to the press release. Vested Interest noted that 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, according to Vested Interest. Each vest has a value between $1,795 and $2,234 with a five-year warranty, and weighs between four and five pounds. There are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States, the press release states.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. 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.