EL PASO COUNTY – A K-9 working with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office recently received a bullet and stab protective vest.
Thanks to a charitable donation from the non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., K-9 Knox now has a protective vest to wear when he assists law enforcement.
The vest was sponsored by Paula Rayer of Peyton, Colorado in memory of her mother, Lynn D. Rayer. Embroidered in the vest is a sentiment reading, “This gift of protection provided by Lynn D. Rayer.”
Since it was established in 2009, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. has provided over 3,300 protective vests in all 50 states through private and corporate donations at a value of $5.7 million.
The donation to provide one protective vest for a K-9 is $950 with a value between $1,744 – $2,283. Each vest weighs between four and five pounds.
The program is open to all dogs actively employed in the U.S. with law enforcement or related agencies who are certified and at least 20 months old. New K-9 graduates, as well as K-9’s with expired vests, are eligible to participate.
