Alexandria Police Department K9 to Receive Body Armor

PHOTO: Czekaj, Alexandria Police Department K9

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ALEXANDRIA, VA -- Alexandria Police Department K9 "Czekaj" will receive a ballistic and stab-protective vest, thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., the police department announced Thursday.

K9 Czekaj’s vest is sponsored by the Alexandria Police Foundation and Pamela Verick of Alexandria and will be embroidered with the sentiment “In honor of the Alexandria Police Citizen’s Academy.” Delivery is expected within eight to 10 weeks. APD K9’s Chance, Gage, XigXag, Trajan and Zara have already received similar vests from the company, the police department noted.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is a 501c (3) charity located in East Taunton, Mass., whose mission is to provide ballistic 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. has provided more than 1,700 protective vests, in 49 states, through private and corporate donations, at a cost of over 1.6 million dollars. 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 United States 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 are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States. For more information or to learn about volunteer opportunities, 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.