The nonprofit group Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. has donated a protective vest to the Fayetteville Police Department’s four-legged officer Baco.
The vest weighs about five pounds and will help guard against bullet and stab wounds the dog could receive during his duties detecting, tracking and apprehending crime suspects. The vest will be embroidered with the name of Officer Collin Rose, a Wayne State University K9 handler who was killed in the line of duty in Detroit in 2016. The vest will arrive in about two months. The Massachusetts-based group has provided more than 3,500 custom vests for K9 officers across the country since 2009. The donation to provide each vest is $950, but they are worth more than $1,700 and have a five-year warranty.
The program is open to dogs more than 20 months old who are actively employed with U.S. law enforcement or related agencies. Baco, a Belgian Malinois, joined the Fayetteville force last April.
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