Twenty-four K9 officers in Pa. receive body armor donation | fox43.com

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — Twenty-four K9 officers with the Department of Corrections and Probation received bullet and stab protective vets thanks to a charitable donation.

The donated armor comes from the non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s Inc. The vests were embroidered with the sentiment "In memory of Kathy W. Coldewey."

K9s Baron, Bia, Glock, Dublin, Salem, Fredy, Razor, Nick, Buddy, Kliff, Max, Ozzy, Canon, Szabi, Lord, Mokey, Alex, Dollar, Cody, Edo, Ezra, Bobi, Barkley, and Sully will all benefit from the donation.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., established in 2009, is a charity whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vets and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. The potentially life-saving body armor for four-legged K9 officers is U.S.-made, custom-fitted, and NIJ-certified.

Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. has provided over 5,707 vests to K9s in all 50 states, worth $6.9 million.

The program is open to U.S. dogs who are at least 20 months old and actively employed and certified with law enforcement or related agencies. K9s with expired vests are also eligible to participate.

Each vest has a value of $1800.00, weighs an average of 4-5 lb., and comes with a five-year warranty.