Galesburg Police Department K9 Cairo recently joined his fellow police dog Ajax in getting protective gear.
Ajax and Cairo both received bullet proof and stab proof vests from a charity called Vested Interest in K9s Inc.
While Cairo just got his vest, Ajax got his custom-fitted vest in late August.
Ajax’s handler, K9 Officer Lane Mings, says an officer in Ohio donated more than $65,000 dollars to Vested Interest.
The Ohio officer was raising money to buy his retiring police dog when the city decided to sell him the dog for $1 dollar. So, the officer donated the money to the charity.
Mings says the vest hasn’t saved Ajax live yet, but it could some day.
“I mean we’ve been in some situations where the vest was necessary,” Mings says. “No real knife calls, but anytime you’re sent in a building, for a building search or any time a gun call comes out, then I’m definitely glad he has it. He hasn’t been stabbed or shot at, no.”
The vests cost slightly more than $1,000.
The vests have dedications embroidered on them honoring law enforcement dogs who have retired or died.
Cairo’s vest is dedicated to K9 Jethro from the police department in Canton, Ohio.
The vests cost nearly $1,100.
Vested Interested has donated 21-hundred vests since the nonprofit was created in 2009.