ITHACA, N.Y. — Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office K9 Odee will receive a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. K9 Odee’s vest is sponsored by a fundraiser hosted by Groton High School and the Rotary Interact Club and will be embroidered with the sentiment “This gift of protection provided by Interact/CCP 2017.” Delivery is expected within eight to ten weeks.
Deputy Marc Ninivaggi and his partner Odee have been in service since June of 2017. “This vest is a highly anticipated piece of safety equipment for our K9 and we thank the Groton High School and Rotary Interact Club for their fundraising efforts”, says Sheriff Ken Lansing.
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 2,800 protective vests, in 50 states, through private and corporate donations, at a cost of over 2.4 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.