FOUNTAIN – Another Southern Colorado K-9 officer is safer on the job. Fountain Police Department’s K-9 Phoenix has a new bullet and stab resistant vest thanks to Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.
The Massachusetts based nonprofit has provided over 3,200 protective vests in 50 states, through private and corporate donations, at a value of $5.7 million dollars. The vest donation for Officer Phoenix was announced in November.
The organization has also recently donated protective vests for K-9s at the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.
According to Vest Interest in K9s, the donation to provide one protective vest for a law enforcement K-9 is $950.00. Each vest has a value between $1,744 – $2,283, and a five-year. 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.
There is an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K-9s throughout the United States.
