JACKSON – Blitz, a Northampton County Sheriff’s Office dog handled by Deputy Timothy Worrell, has received a bullet and stab protective vest through a charitable donation from the non-profit Vested Interest in K9s.

The vest was received thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. K9 Blitz’s vest is sponsored by Lu Ann Bellantoni of Cos Cob, CT and is embroidered on the vest with “Greenwich CT Parks & Rec. Admin. Staff”.

“This donated vest is a great asset for our K9 officer Blitz,” stated Northampton County Sheriff Jack Smith. “This donation has saved our taxpayers and citizens a large amount of money and will certainly help this agency. We are more than willing to work with this company and others. I would like to thank Vested Interest in K9’s for their donation and the tremendous help this has benefited our agency and county.”

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 2,600 protective vests, in 50 states, through private and corporate donations, at a cost of over 2.1 million dollars.

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 law enforcement K9 is $950. Each vest has a value between $1,744 – $2,283 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.