Alexandria Police Department K9s to Receive Body Armor

PHOTO of Alexandria’s K9 force courtesy of Alexandria Police Department

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ALEXANDRIA, VA -- Alexandria Police Department K9s Chance, Gage, XigXag, Trajan, and Zara will each receive a ballistic and stab-protective vest, thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., the police department said Friday in a news release.

K9s Chance, Gage, and XigXag’s vests are sponsored by the Alexandria Police Foundation and Pamela Verick of Alexandria and will be embroidered with the sentiment “In honor of the Alexandria Police Citizen’s Academy”.

K9s Trajan and Zara’s vests are sponsored by Dr. Michael and Lynda Gordon of Coconut Grove, Fla., and will be embroidered with the sentiment “In loving memory of Corky Gordon.” Delivery is expected within eight to 10 weeks, the department noted.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is a 501c (3) charity located in East Taunton, Mass. Their mission is to provide ballistic and stab-protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States, the police department said. Here’s more about the nonprofit, from the news release:

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. has provided over 1,700 protective vests, in 49 states, through private and corporate donations, at a cost of over 1.6 million dollars.

All vests are custom made in the USA by Armor Express in Central Lake, Mich. The program is open to dogs actively “employed” in the United States with law enforcement or related agencies who are certified and at least 20 months of age.

More about K9 vests

• 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.
• 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, 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.