Cleburne County Sheriff’s Office K9 Xinie 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 an Anonymous Sponsor 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, MA 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 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 3,100 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. 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 $950.00. Each vest has a value between $1,744 – $2,283, and a five-year warranty and an average weight of 4-5 lbs. There is an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s 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.

(Press release provided by Vested Interest)

“Our partnership with Vested Interest in obtaining a vest for Xinie has been a long process (due to backordered materials), but we as a Sheriff’s Office and as a community thank Vested Interest for their hard work and support.  The work they do helps to ensure that working K9s have the same protection and the same chance as their handler of going home at the end of each shift.  Each department K9 is a valued team member, as well as a cherished family member, and we are thankful that there are organizations that exist to help keep them as safe as possible.”

-Sheriff Chris Brown