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Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office K-9s received bullet and stab protective vests from a non-profit.
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The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office K-9 team has been outfitted with new protective gear thanks to a charitable donation, the office said.

Six K-9 unit dogs received new vests designed to protect them from bullet and stab wounds, officials said.

The non-profit Vested Interest in K9s Inc., whose mission is to provide protective vests and other assistance to police dogs throughout the United States, provided the equipment, the Sheriff’s Office said.

K-9s Karl, Ryker, Bach, Hero, Osa and Bull received a bullet and stab protective vest, each embroidered differently.

Bull’s vest was sponsored by Petra Keller of Washoe Valley, Nevada, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The others were sponsored anonymously, MSCO said.

Each will include words honoring a person or another K-9 dog.

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According to the MSCO, one protective vest for a law-enforcement K-9 costs $950.

Vested Interest has provided more than 2,600 vests for dogs since its inception in 2009, thanks to more than $2.1 million in donations.

The program is open to public-safety dogs in the United States that are at least 20 months old, MCSO said. New K-9 graduates, as well as K-9s with expired vests, are eligible.

The vests work by shielding vital organs from both bullets and sharp objects. The average K-9 vest weighs 4 to 5 pounds and is designed specifically for the dog who will wear it.

Police work comes with risk for dogs. Officer Down Memorial Page, a nonprofit that collects data on officers and K-9s killed in the line of duty, reports 19 K-9s have died on the job so far this year. Of the 19, nine of the dogs died as a result of gunfire or stab wounds. Eight died of heat exhaustion.

It’s estimated that about 30,000 dogs work as law enforcement K-9s in the U.S.

For information about the program or to make a donation, visit the organization’s website at vik9s.org.

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