 | STATE OF CONNECTICUT Department of Emergency Services & Public Protection Connecticut State Police Public Information Office |  |
| Dr. Dora B. Schriro Commissioner | Colonel Alaric J. Fox Deputy Commissioner Division of State Police | |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
CONNECTICUT STATE POLICE K-9 SILVER RECEIVES BODY ARMOR
(MIDDLETOWN CT – January 30, 2017) - Connecticut State Police’s K-9 Silver has received a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. The vest will be embroidered with the sentiment “In Memory of K-9 Ike, Vancouver Police Department.”
K-9 Silver has been assigned to Trooper First Class Thomas Mitri since September 2015 and is currently working at Troop G in Bridgeport. K-9 Silver is a two-and-a-half-year-old Malinois trained in all patrol functions including tracking, building searches, evidence recovery, apprehension, obstacles and obedience.
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 nonprofit was established in 2009 to assist law enforcement agencies with this potentially lifesaving body armor for their four-legged K9 partners. Through private and corporate donations, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., has provided more than 2,200 protective vests in all 50 states at a cost of more than $1.9 million. All vests are custom made in the USA by Armor Express in Central Lake, MI.
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 $1,050. Each vest has an average weight of 4-5 pounds and has a value between $1,795 – $2,234 and a five-year warranty. There are 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.
