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Odin, a K9 with the Morristown Police Department, will receive a protective vest from a charitable donation from Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.

Odin has been a member of MPD for going on four years now.

His partner is Officer Chris Wisecarver, and the pair have been working together for approximately a year and a half.

The usual duties for K9s in the police force include but are not limited to: assisting with suspect tracking and apprehension, narcotics detection, and search, rescue and recovery.

The daily work pattern for a K9 can be just as dangerous as that of his or her Police Officer counterpart, thus making K9 vests even more vital.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is a nonprofit organization which has donated more than 5,000 K9 ballistic vests to K9 officers in law enforcement since their 2009 establishment, as well as had three patrol vehicles custom fitted for a K9 Unit valued at over $50,000 each.

The sponsored donation for Odin’s vest specifically came from Randy and Denise King of Noble Realty in Knoxville.

The Kings’ donation will feature the phrase “This gift of protection provided by the King Family,” so that their sponsorship may be honored.

The vest itself is designed to shield against ballistics to include stab wounds, debris from possible explosions, and bullets.

Each vest has a value of $1800, weighs an average of 4-5 lbs. and a five-year warranty is included.

The overall mission of Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is centered around providing K9s in law enforcement equipment they need to stay safe on the job.

In order to qualify for VIK’s vest program, the K9 must be 20 months of age and be actively employed and certified with a law enforcement agency or related entity.

The K9 must also not be scheduled for retirement within the next 12 months at the time of submission.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provides information, lists events, and accepts donations at www.vik9s.org, or you may mail your contribution to P.O. Box 9, East Taunton, MA 02718.