Grant County Sheriff’s Office K-9 receives body armor

Another local dog is protected thanks to a nonprofit on the east coast.

Grant County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Zedd’s bulletproof, knife-proof vest arrived in late February, courtesy of Vested Interest in K9s Inc., a Massachusetts nonprofit organization.

In addition to Vested Interest in K9s’s equipment grant for ballistic vests, the nonprofit also donated opioid reversal NARCAN kits, medical insurance, first aid kits and even vehicles custom fitted for K-9 units.

“It’s become a standing opportunity for us (when we) get new dogs, we would put in for a grant and so far we have not been turned down,” said GCSO Chief Deputy Ken Jones, overseer of the K-9 division. “The organization has just been fantastic.”

There are strict criteria for sending a K-9 out, Jones said, and it’s almost always dangerous. Because of this, statistically the dogs are put in a higher position of risk than the handler. For this reason, the office strives to equip them with the best gear available.

“Those vests have saved dogs from imminent death, being stabbed or, even worse, shot,” Jones said.

The vests are lightweight, flexible and adjustable, said founder Sandy Marcal, which is best for the dog.

The importance of the vests cannot be stressed enough, she said, and many of the departments she donates to don’t have the available budget to provide them.

“They do the same work as the officers so they need to have the same level of protection that their human counterpart has,” she said.

Zedd’s handler, GCSO Deputy Luis Jimenez, is the youngest on the fleet, Jones said.

“He’s doing a fantastic job with K-9 Zedd, and I’m very proud of all four handlers and how they’ve done business,” he said.

Zedd, like the other K-9s, is goal-driven and wants to do good, Jones said. The dogs are highly-trained, and it’s important to recognize their efforts as they are regularly put in high-risk situations.

In Phase 3, the sheriff’s office looks forward to going back into schools for presentations, Jones said, where they get the chance to show off the dogs.

Vested Interest has given donations to law enforcement departments across Washington in Seattle, Renton, Okanogan County, Grant County, Moses Lake, Soap Lake and elsewhere, said founder Sandy Marcal.