Photo: Harmon pictured with MHPD Sgt. Jonathan Griffin
Nearly 3 1/2 months after the Mountain Home Police Department announced a donation of body armor for its four-legged staff member, the gift has arrived. Harmon, the department’s K9, received his bullet- and stab-protective vest courtesy of a charitable donation from the nonprofit organization “Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.” The vest was embroidered with the sentiment “In memory of K9 Benga, Mountain Home, AR Police Department.”
Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) organization located in East Taunton, Massachusetts. It was established nearly 10 years ago with a mission of providing protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. Since its inception, the nonprofit has provided over 3,500 protective vests in all 50 states through private and corporate donations at a total value of nearly $6.9 million.
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 and K9s with expired vests are eligible to participate.
The donation to provide one protective vest for a law enforcement K9 is $950. Each vest has a value between $1,744 and $2,283, a five-year warranty and an average weight of 4-to-5 pounds.
For more information about Vested Interest in K9s, call 508-824-6978 or go online to vik9s.org.
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