Allegan County Sheriff’s office K-9 Luca will receive a bullet and stab protective vest, thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.
Luca’s vest is sponsored by Sharon Peters of Gross Pointe Shores and will be embroidered with the sentiment “In memory of Det. Lt. Richard J. Scott.” Delivery is expected within eight to ten weeks.
Vested Interest in K9s, a charity located in East Taunton, MA, has a mission to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. The non-profit was established in 2009 to help law enforcement agencies with this potentially lifesaving body armor for their four-legged K-9 officers. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s provided more than 2,800 protective vests, in 50 states, through private and corporate donations, at a cost of more than 2.4 million dollars.
The program is open to dogs actively employed in the U.S. with law enforcement or related agencies who are certified and at least 20 months of age. New K-9 graduates, as well as K-9s with expired vests, are eligible to participate.
The donation to provide one protective vest for a law enforcement K-9 is $950. Each vest has a value between $1,744 and $2,283 and a five-year warranty, and an average weight of 4-5 lbs. There is an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K-9s throughout the United States.
For more information or to learn about volunteer opportunities, call 508-824-6978.
Luca is partnered with Deputy Ryan Rewa, who formerly was one of the officers assigned to Dorr and Leighton townships. Rewa has been with the Allegan County Sheriff’s Office for three and a half years. Luca, a 20-month-old German shepherd imported from Poland, joined him on patrol just over six months ago.
Rewa and Luca went through a five-week training course together before beginning patrol work and they continue to train on a regular basis to maintain and hone their skills. Luca is trained in drug detection, tracking, suspect apprehension and handler protection. Luca and Rewa make regular visits to classrooms and community events to interact with our citizens.
