Middlebury Police Department’s K9 Jay to get body armor

#MIDDLEBURY #K9 #POLICE

Middlebury Police Department K9, Jay, works with Officer Ed Demers. (Submitted photo)

Middlebury Police Department’s K9, Jay, will receive a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from nonprofit organization Vested Interest in K9s Inc. K9 Jay’s vest is sponsored by Joyce Errichetti of Middlebury, Conn., and will be embroidered with the sentiment “Thanks for your work.” Delivery is expected within eight to 10 weeks.

Vested Interest in K9s Inc. is a 501c (3) charity 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. has provided over 2,100 protective vests in 50 states through private and corporate donations at a cost of over $1.9 million. 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 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. Each vest has a value of $1,795 to $2,234, a five-year warranty, and an average weight of 4 to 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 by mail at P.O. Box 9, East Taunton, MA 02718.