ALFRED — Champ, the Maine State Police dog assigned to Trooper Jeremy Forbes, is now protected from those who would do him harm.
Champ, a patrol canine who works with Forbes in Troop A, is sporting a new bullet- and stab-proof vest, thanks to a Sorrento woman and a Massachusetts-based nonprofit called Vested Interest In K9s, Inc. The charity received a $950 donation from Madeline Hamersley for the purchase of body armor for Champ, said Maine Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland. As well as a patrol dog, Champ is also a certified drug detection dog.
Another dog, Merry, who patrols in Aroostook County with his handler Jared Sylvia, is also sporting a new vest.
Vested Interest In K9s is a charity located in East Taunton, Massachusetts, with a mission to provide bullet- and stab-protective vests for law enforcement dogs throughout the United States.
New canine graduates as well as dogs with expired vests are eligible to apply for the ballistic vests. The program is available to U.S. employed and certified law enforcement dogs that are at least 19 months of age.
More information is available on the website, www.vik9s.org.
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