Shepherdstown Police Department’s K-9 Apollo has received body armor

Shepherdstown Police Department’s K-9 Apollo has received a bullet and stab protective vest, thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.
The vest was sponsored by Guy Leach of Georgetown, Kentucky, and embroidered with the sentiment “Honoring those who served and sacrificed.”
Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is a 501c(3) charity located in East Taunton, Massachusetts, 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 help law enforcement agencies get potentially lifesaving body armor for their four-legged K-9 officers. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provided over 3,000 protective vests in 50 states, through private and corporate donations, at a cost of over $5.7 million.
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 K-9 graduates, as well as K-9s with expired vests, are eligible to participate.
The donation to provide one protective vest for a law enforcement K-9 is $950. Each 4-5 pound vest has a value between $1,744 $2,283, along with a five-year warranty. There is an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K-9s 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.