Douglas County, Colorado-
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office’s K9s Scooter and Atlas have received ballistic vests thanks to a nationwide GROUPON EVENT that has raised over $39,000.00.
The “Goods Pet Collection ” campaign for Groupon Grassroots to outfit police K9’s with bullet and stab protective vests ran May 11th through May 25th, 2015. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is the nationwide non-profit organization and charity partner selected by Groupon Grassroots to participate. The online $10 donation suggested interested persons purchase a GROUPON (a tax deductible donation) through a secure website where 100% of the funds were allocated to purchase ballistic vests for the four-legged crime fighters who put their lives on the line for the community and their partner.
Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. will provide law enforcement dogs nationwide with the protective body armor in memory of K9 Kye of the Oklahoma City Police Department who sacrificed his life in the line of duty on August 24th, 2014. K9 Kye suffered stab wounds while pursuing and subduing a burglary suspect. He was rushed to surgery but failed to recover.
All vests will be embroidered with the sentiment, “In Memory of K9 Kye, Oklahoma City Police Department”.
In 2014, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. partnered with Groupon and was named as one of “The Best of 2014” campaigns. In just over two weeks, the nonprofit raised $335,000.00 providing ballistic vests for 370 law enforcement dogs in 49 states.
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 1,546 protective vests, in 49 states, through private and corporate donations, at a cost of over 1.4 million dollars. 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 19 months of age. New K9 graduates, as well as K9s with expired vests, are eligible to participate.
The suggested donation to provide one protective vest for a law enforcement K9 is $1,050. Each vest 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.