MATTHEWS, N.C. — K9 Rhett with the Matthews Police Department is getting a brand new bullet and stab protective vest. It's all thanks to the nonprofit Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., which provided a charitable donation to the department.
The nonprofit was established in 2019 and aims to provide dogs of law enforcement and related agencies with bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance. The body armor is made in the United States, is custom fitted to each K9, and is certified by the National Institute of Justice.
K9 Rhett's vest will be embroidered with “In memory of K9 Hobbs, Des Moines, IA - EOW 12/12/23” to honor a K9 who died earlier this month due to a sudden illness. K9 Hobbs was a recipient of a body armor donation from the nonprofit in December 2020.
Vested Interest in K9s's efforts are open to dogs in the U.S. that are at least 20 months old and are actively employed and certified with law enforcement or related agencies, as well as K9s with expired vests. The nonprofit has given over 5,379 vests to K9s across the country. That's at a value of $6.9 million, which the nonprofit said is accomplished through private and corporate donations.
The nonprofit said a $985 donation sponsors one vest, and each vest has a value of $1,800. Each vest weighs roughly 5 pounds, and includes a five-year warranty.
"The Matthews Police Department would like to express our deepest gratitude to Vested Interest in K9's for their generosity in awarding Rhett such a vital tool to help keep him safe while he's working hard to protect the citizens of Matthews," Matthews Police Department officials said in a news release.
K9 Rhett's armor is expected to arrive within eight to 10 weeks.
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