Sheriff’s Department K9 Marley Now Equipped With Bulletproof Vest

Washington County Sheriff’s Department K9 Marley prepared for a shift.

Washington County Sheriff’s Office K9 Marley will receive a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. and is sponsored by an Anonymous Sponsor. Delivery is expected within eight to ten weeks.

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 2,600 protective vests, in 50 states, through private and corporate donations, at a cost of over 2.1 million dollars.

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 $950.00. Each vest has a value between $1,744 – $2,283 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.

Sheriff Danny Bradac would like to thank Vested Interest in K9s for providing the vest to Marley. Also a big thanks to the anonymous donor for providing the funds needed to purchase the vest.

The K9 vehicle and equipment were also provided by an anonymous donor. Marley was donated by the Stafford’s of Spring, Texas. Their generosity is greatly appreciated. Marley and Deputy Tommy Moss went through a 240 training course taught by Perry County Sheriff Steve Bareis. Bareis is certified as a trainer with the Illinois Law Enforcement Training And Standards Board.

K9 Marley is trained in Narcotics Detection and Tracking.

K9 Marley will be used to locate suspects as well as missing children and anyone that may be lost.