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Darke County Sheriff
Sheriff’s
Office K9 Britta to get body armor
Darke County Sheriff’s Office K9 Britta will receive a bullet and stab
protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit
organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. K9 Britta’s vest is sponsored
by a memorial donation to honor the late Donnie Buff of Powhatan Point,
OH and will be embroidered with the sentiment “In memory of S.W.A.T.
Officer Don Buff”. Delivery is expected within eight to ten weeks.
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 1,800 protective
vests, in 49 states, through private and corporate donations, at a cost
of over 1.6 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 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
$1,050.00. Each vest has a value between $1,795 – $2,234 and a
five-year warranty, and an average weight of 4-5 lbs. 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.
K9 Britta has been working as a State Certified Dual Purpose Police K9
with the Darke County Sheriff’s Office since November 2015. In
April 2016 Britta also earned her National Certification as a Dual
Purpose Police K9 through the North American Police Work Dog
Association. While working for the Sheriff’s Office, Britta has
successfully assisted Deputy’s and other local law enforcement officers
in locating drugs and drug paraphernalia. She has been called
upon multiple times in high risk situations and for tracking
suspects. Sheriff Toby L. Spencer wants our community to know
that “Britta is a great resource to have within the Darke County
Sheriff’s Office and is proud to have her on board!” Sheriff
Spencer would also like to thank Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. for their
support in taking steps to protect such a valuable asset as K9 Britta.
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