Vest Donated to K9 Loki > City of Kannapolis | City of Kannapolis

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Kannapolis Police Department’s K9 Loki will receive a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. The vest was donated by members of the 2015 Spring Kannapolis Police Department Citizens Academy. K9 Loki’s vest will be embroidered with the sentiment “Vest given May 2015 by KPD Citizen’s Academy Class”.

“We are honored and excited that our Spring 2015 Citizens Police Academy class donated the funds needed to purchase this vest. Their generosity enabled us to outfit our last dual purpose canine with his protective vest,” said Police Chief Woody Chavis.

Officer Scott L. Crainshaw and Police Canine Loki began their canine careers together in the spring of 2014. Loki is a male German Shepherd who was born in November 2012. Loki was trained at Southern Police Canine Incorporated in Spring Hope, NC. He is a dual purpose canine, trained in patrol work and narcotics detection. Loki’s handler, Officer Crainshaw has been with the Kannapolis Police Department since 2010. Even though Loki is still a “rookie” he has proven to be a great asset to the department and to the citizens of Kannapolis.

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 1,600 protective vests, in 49 states, through private and corporate donations, at a cost of over 1.5 million dollars. 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 19 months of age. New K9 graduates, as well as K9s with expired vests, are eligible to participate.

The suggested donation to provide one protective vest for law enforcement K9 is $1,050.00. Each vest has a value between $1,795 – $2,234 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.