Battle Ground Police Department’s K9 Luca will receive a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. K9 Luca’s vest is sponsored by Amber Will of Vancouver, WA and will be embroidered with the sentiment “In memory of VPD K9 Ike”. Delivery is expected within eight to ten weeks.
Luca is a 4 year old German shepherd born in the Czech Republic. He has spent his entire K9 career at BGPD with his partner Sgt. Chris Crouch. The team has earned certifications in both Patrol and Narcotic Detection work. Luca is high energy and very committed to his job. He has been on over 125 deployments, including 5 SWAT deployments and has secured over 40 arrests and narcotic finds.
Luca loves kids and when he’s not pursuing bad guys, he visits local schools to demonstrate his special skills, athleticism, and charming personality. “We are so grateful for this generous donation,” remarked Sgt. Crouch, “It will provide an added level of safety and security for Luca”.
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 1,700 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 suggested donation to provide one protective vest for 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 their link listed below or mailed to P.O. Box 9 East Taunton, MA 02718.