DeWITT, N.Y. — The dogs of the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit have a new layer of protection, thanks to an anonymous donor.
The dogs of the sheriff’s K-9 unit, which serves the Correction Department, received bullet- and stab-protective vests from Vested Interest in K9s Inc., a not-for-profit headquartered in Massachusetts. The vests were sponsored by an anonymous source, per a news release from the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office K-9 Unit was created in 2016 and has been effective in uncovering criminal contraband at the county jail. “Several high-profile arrests have been made as a direct result of the K-9 Unit,” the release said. “Due to the rising heroin epidemic, these K-9s have not only increased security in the correctional setting, but have heightened and contributed to public safety.”
Vested Interests in K9s Inc. has been around since 2009, and has helped to provide bullet- and stab-resistant vests for some 2,800 dogs in 50 states.
Each vest weighs between four and five pounds and has a five-year warranty. A donation to provide a single vest for a law-enforcement K-9 is $950 and vests are valued at $1,744 to $2,283.
Contact McChesney at cmcchesney@cnybj.com