Custer County Sheriff’s Office K9 Officer, Vader will receive a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from the non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.
There are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States. According to Custer County Sheriff’s Deputy Trey Gilligan, Vader’s handler, Vader is a seven-year-old German Shepard. Born in Germany, Vader was originally purchased by the Iowa State Patrol as a dual-purpose bite dog and narcotics detection dog. While Vader did great with narcotics detection, he did not pass the bite certification in his initial training.
In 2020 the Custer County Sheriff’s Office was looking for a narcotics detection dog and brought Vader on board.
Vader does not currently have a protective vest – Vader’s new vest is being supplied through a grant program to which Gilligan applied. The program is open to U.S. dogs at least 20 months old, actively employed, and certified with law enforcement or related agencies. K9s with expired vests are also eligible to participate.
Gilligan noted, “The Kevlar in the vest that makes the vest bullet/stab proof has and expiration of five years. This is also a fact about our everyday duty vest; every five years we replace the Kevlar plates or get new vest due to the expiration date.”
Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., was established in 2009, as a 501(c)(3) charity whose mission is to provide protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. A single donation of $1,050 will sponsor one vest; each vest has a value of $1800.00. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. accepts tax-deductible contributions in any amount.
Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. has provided over 6,348 vests valued at $6.9 million to K9s in all 50 states, made possible by both private and corporate donations.
Vader’s vest was sponsored by Sherri Widlund of Colorado Springs, CO and will be embroidered with the sentiment “In honor of Aunt Marge Wright”. This potentially lifesaving body armor for four-legged K9 officers is U.S. made, custom fitted, and certified by the National Institute of Justice. The vests weigh an average of 4-5 lbs., and come with a five-year warranty. Delivery of Vader’s protective vest is expected within ten weeks.
Those interested in more information about Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. can call (508) 824-6978. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provides information, lists events, and accepts donations at www.vik9s.org.
