CONNECTICUT STATE POLICE K-9 KATO TO RECEIVE BODY ARMOR
(MIDDLETOWN CT – April 12, 2016) – Connecticut State Police’s K-9 Kato will receive a bullet and stab
protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. A donation in the
amount of $65,825 was presented to the charity from the “Help Officer Hickey Vest K9s” online fundraiser. The funds
were raised through nationwide donations in efforts to help retired Officer Matt Hickey of Marietta, OH, keep his partner, Ajax, upon retirement. Officer Hickey was able to purchase Ajax for the sum of $1 and the balance was donated to Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. Vested Interest in K9s,Inc. will be providing 62 law enforcement dogs with vests thanks to the generous donation, including Kato’s vest. Delivery is expected within eight to ten weeks.
K9 Kato has been assigned to Trooper First Class Darren Connolly for the past two years and the K9 team is currently working at Troop H in Hartford. K9 Kato is a five-year-old male German shepherd who is trained in all patrol functions including tracking, building searches, evidence recovery, apprehension, obstacles and obedience. K9 Kato is also cross-trained as a search and rescue canine. 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 nonprofit was established in 2009 to assist law enforcement agencies with this potentially lifesaving body armor for their four -legged K9 partners. Through private and corporate donations, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., has provided more than 1,800 protective vests in 49 states at a cost of more than $1.6 million. 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. Each vest has an average weight of 4-5 pounds and 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.
(State Police Press Release)
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