Smithville Police Department K9 Officer Leo has been awarded a ballistic vest thanks to a non profit organization, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.
K-9 Officer James Cornelius and K-9 Leo have been working together for just over 3 years. Officer Cornelius has been in law enforcement for close to four years.  Leo is a 5-year-old Dutch Shepherd who has been working for four years.
Leo had one handler prior to Officer Cornelius. Leo and Officer Cornelius were paired up in March of 2011, at which point they completed 120 hours of initial training with Dean Hunter of Canine Command.
They continue to attend monthly maintenance training with Dean and recertify yearly with the USPCA.
A total of $16,595.00 was donated to the charity from the “K9 Kota Campaign” which will provide vests for seventeen K9s in KY, OH, NJ, CA and IN.
 The “K9 Kota Campaign” held an online event selling over 1350 tee shirts for the cause.
K9 Kota is a law enforcement dog with the Winchester Police Department in VA who sustained a work related injury on January 3, 2014. He fell through an attic floor onto a hardwood floor while detaining a suspect.
Although the injury was severe to his right front arm, Kota climbed back up the flight of stairs to continue the fight. After months of surgery and physical therapy his return to police work is still unknown.
 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.
Each vest costs $950 and has a 5-year warranty. The nonprofit was established in 2009 to assist law enforcement agencies with this potentially life saving body armor for their four legged K9 Officers. Through private and corporate sponsorships, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provided over 930 law enforcement dogs in 39 states with protective vests since 2009 at a cost of $880,000.
The organization orders the U.S. made vests exclusively from distributor Regency Police Supply in Hyannis, MA. who also does the custom embroidery on the body armor. Vests are manufacturer by Armor Express in Central Lake, MI.
New K9 graduates as well as K9's with expired vests are eligible to participate. The program is open to law enforcement dogs who are US employed, certified and at least 19 months of age.
Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. was named as a charity partner in March of 2014 in a nation wide Groupon Campaign which raised over $335,000 in 19 days. The non profit will be providing over 350 law enforcement dogs nationwide with the protective body armor in memory of K9 Rocco of the Pittsburgh Police Department who sacrificed his life in the line of duty in January of 2014.
All vests will be embroidered with the sentiment, "In Memory of K9 Rocco, Pittsburgh Police Department."
 For more information or to learn about volunteer opportunities, please call 508-824-6978. Tax deductible donations accepted via mail to: Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. P.O. Box 9 East Taunton, MA 02718 or via the website: www.vik9s.org.