It was announced Tuesday, August 27th that Knox County Sheriff K9 officer Juri 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 Lincolnwood Training Club for German Shepherd Dogs. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. charity located in East Taunton, MA that provides bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement 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 3,400 protective vests in 50 states, through private and corporate donations, at a value of $5.7 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. Each vest has a value between $1,744 – $2,283, and there are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States.
