Bladen County Sheriff’s Office K9s Arco, Orex receive protective vests

BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Two furry members of the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office are a little safer thanks to a donation of protective vests.

K9s Arco and Orex are now wearing bullet and stab protective vests gifted from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.

This potentially lifesaving body armor for four-legged K9 officers is U.S. made, custom fitted, and NIJ certified. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. has provided over 4,845 vests to K9s in all 50 states at a value of $6.9 million, made possible by both private and corporate donations.

The program is open to U.S. dogs that are at least 20 months old and actively employed and certified with law enforcement or related agencies. K9s with expired vests are also eligible to participate.

There are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States.