Sheriff's office K9 getting donated ballistic vest

Jan. 5—Ruger, the newest police dog to join the Jackson County Sheriff's Office team, is getting his own bullet- and stab-resistant vest thanks to a donation from a nonprofit group.

Massachusetts-based Vested Interest in K9s provides protective vests and other gear for dogs that work for law enforcement and other agencies throughout the United States. The potentially lifesaving vests for K9 officers are made in the U.S., custom-fitted to each dog and meet National Institute of Justice standards for body armor, according to the sheriff's office.

Ruger, who is almost 2 years old, passed his certification tests in November 2022 and started his job with the sheriff's office. His partner, Deputy Tracy Lenhardt, successfully applied for the donated vest from Vested Interest in K9s, according to Jackson County Public Information Officer Aaron Lewis.

"Each vest is specifically made for each K9, just like a deputy's is, and can be quite costly — so this was a nice benefit for county taxpayers," Lewis said.

The sheriff's office has four patrol dogs and one that works at the Jackson County Jail. All sheriff's office dogs have ballistic vests, Lewis said.

Ruger's vest is sponsored by the Peery family of Cumming, Georgia, and will be embroidered with the message, "This gift of protection provided by the Peery Family." Delivery is expected in eight to 10 weeks, the sheriff's office said.

Ruger is a Belgian Malinois who loves his new job, gets excited to go to work and barks when sirens go off in anticipation of whatever comes next. Some of his favorite activities are playing ball, swimming, getting belly rubs and biting his beloved tire toy, according to the sheriff's office.

Ruger was raised and pretrained by Dutch Canine and Emma Delacruz.

When Ruger joined the sheriff's office a few months ago, his trainers said in a social media post: "He was a very special and fun-loving pup. At 6 weeks old he stood out from his other litter mates, so we decided to take him into our program to raise and train up with the potential to be a patrol K9. The JCSO K9 Unit saw him go from a fluffy, smiley, little pup each week to a young adult really developing into his work. He's proven himself to be ready for his official new job, and I couldn't be prouder of him all grown up."

Since its founding in 2009, Vested Interest in K9s has donated more than 4,900 ballistic vests; 2,300 kits to reverse a drug overdose if a dog is exposed to opioids, including the powerful and often deadly drug fentanyl; more than $281,800 for dog medical insurance premiums; and over $199,500 in K9 medical first aid kits.

The first-aid kits for dogs include leg splints, WoundSeal to stop bleeding, a tool to close blood vessels, eye saline rinse, burn cream, bandages, a tourniquet, a dog oxygen mask and more.

The nonprofit's vest program is open to United States dogs that are at least 20 months old and actively employed and certified with law enforcement or related agencies. K9s with expired vests also are eligible to participate.

There are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States, according to Vested Interest in K9s.

The organization accepts tax-deductible contributions of any amount. Each vest has a value of $1,744 to $2,283 and comes with a five-year warranty. For information on applying for a vest or other safety supplies, or donating toward equipment for K9s, call 508-824-6978 or see vik9s.org.

Reach Mail Tribune reporter Vickie Aldous at 541-776-4486 or valdous@rosebudmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @VickieAldous.