Group Donates Bulletproof Vest For Colorado K-9
BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. (CBS4) - A Colorado K-9 will be better protected while on duty now that he has a protective vest, thanks to a generous donation.
The nonprofit group Vested Interest in K-9s provides vests for police dogs across the country, and this month they paid for a bulletproof vest for the Danny from the Summit County Sheriff's Office.
LINK: Vested Interest in K-9s, Inc.
"He is a very valuable resource not only to the sheriff's office but to the communities that surround Summit County as well," said handler Nathan Opsahl, referring to the dog.
Opsahl, a deputy, has been working with Danny since 2015.
"His job is kind of to be on the front lines for us," Opsahl said. "He does it all."
Opsahl said the vests cost approximately $2,500 and are good for approximately five years. After that, the ballistic paneling is no longer effective.
"These vests are hard for the department sometimes to acquire because they are so (expensive) and it helps when a there's a group out there that cares so much that have never even met Danny and they're willing to donate," he said.
Danny's vest is embroidered with a touching settlement in memory of K-9 Rocco from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police.
There are approximately 30,000 K-9s in the country and most don't have vests protecting them while they are on duty.
"It gives me that piece of mind knowing that that's one thing I can check off when we go on a deployment," Opsahl said.
