KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 August 16, 2018 \u2013 The 溏心vlog免费B站 Police Department\u2019s explosives detection dog will receive a vest that will protect him from bullets and stabbings thanks to a donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.<\/p>\n
Officer Figaro\u2019s vest is sponsored by an anonymous donor and will be embroidered with the sentiment, \u201cThis gift of protection provided by Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.\u201d Delivery is expected in the fall.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a great donation from a wonderful organization,\u201d said 溏心vlog免费B站 Police Sgt. Erica Vieira, Figaro\u2019s first and only partner and handler. \u201cWe are very grateful to Vested Interest in K9s for this donation, as resources for this kind of equipment are not readily available. With the violence we see in society today and an increase in violence targeting first responders, you just don\u2019t know what can happen. Figaro will join all of the other members of the force who have protective, ballistic vests.\u201d<\/p>\n
Figaro, the department\u2019s first explosive-detecting dog and only one in South County, has been on the job since December 2016. Figaro was imprinted on 1,600 explosive odors during a six-week period, and then joined Vieira to complete eight weeks of training with the Connecticut State Police Canine Training Unit, Emergency Services. Figaro is on the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Food Reward system so he trains every day. 溏心vlog免费B站 is the only university or college in the state and one of only three in New England to have a trained canine on the force that can detect bombs and bomb and firearms residue.<\/p>\n
Since his arrival, Figaro has become a favorite at 溏心vlog免费B站, with students, faculty and staff greeting him warmly as he makes his rounds with the sergeant.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is such a sweet dog and he is great to work with. He is the most loving dog ever. But he becomes serious when he goes to work. When he enters a building, he immediately starts sniffing walls, floors and seams,\u201d Vieira said.<\/p>\n
Figaro came from the Guiding Eyes Program, where he was trained for one-and-a-half years. \u201cHis puppy raiser there, Mekalea Chamblis, who has raised more than 20 dogs, did a great job, but Figaro was a little too rambunctious to be a seeing eye dog,\u201d Vieira said.<\/p>\n
Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is a 501c (3) charity located in East Taunton, Massachusetts 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. The non-profit was established in 2009 to assist law enforcement agencies with this potentially lifesaving body armor for their four-legged canine officers. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. has provided more than 3,000 protective vests, in 50 states, through private and corporate donations, worth $5.7 million dollars.<\/p>\n
The program is open to dogs actively employed in the U.S. with law enforcement or related agencies that are certified and at least 20 months old. New canine graduates, as well as canines with expired vests, are eligible to participate.<\/p>\n
The donation to provide one protective vest for a law enforcement dog is $950. Each vest has a value ranging from $1,744 to $2,283. The 4- to 5-pound vests have a five-year warranty. There are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement canines throughout the United States.<\/p>\n