Submitted by Quinault Nation Police Department
Quinault Nation Police Department’s K9 Jeb has received a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. K9 Jeb’s vest is sponsored by Shana Greene of Newcastle, WA and embroidered with the sentiment “Four paws and one courageous heart.”
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 2,400 protective vests, in 50 states, through private and corporate donations, at a cost of over 1.9 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 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 between $1,795 – $2,234 and a five-year warranty, and an average weight of 4-5 lbs. There is 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 mailed to P.O. Box 9 East Taunton, MA 02718.
“The Quinault Nation Police Department would like to thank Vested Interest in K9 Inc. for their time and excellent services they have provided. Quinault Nation would also like to send a special thank you to Shana Greene for her generous donation, which made this armor possible for K9 Jeb. K9 Jeb and I can now work in confidence knowing K9 Jeb has body armor to help keep him safe from any dangerous environments we might encounter,” said Corporal Tyler Warne of the Quinault Nation Police Department.
