Illinois Vest-a-Dog

Who we are

Illinois Vest-a-Dog is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the lives of K-9 police dogs through the purchase and donation of bullet and stab resistant vests.

As K-9 police officers patrol the streets and encounter dangerous criminals, their four footed "Guardians of the Night" have one mission: to protect their partners, by whatever means necessary, to ensure that they both return home safely.

The vest routinely purchased by Illinois Vest-a-Dog is made by International Armor. The cost is $825. We selected this particular vest because it is both bullet and stab resistant, is light weight (3.5 lbs) and has several adjustments to allow for easy mobility of the K-9. Many vests are less expensive, but do not have the stab resistant feature that most handlers find very important for the close confrontations these police dogs frequently encounter. Occasionally, we have a police department that prefers a different brand of vest and that will increase or decrease the price.

The goal of our organization is to vest every Illinois police dog whose handler wants one for their K-9 partner. There are several ways to make that happen:

• We have frequent fund raisers throughout the year. As we reach $825 in the account, we order a vest for the next dog on the wait list.
• Donors are people or organizations who purchase a vest for a specific K-9. They have the option of selecting the next dog on the list or reviewing the list to select the K-9 of their choice.
  
• Sometimes we are contacted by a person who says, “Our police department is getting a new K-9 and I would like to be the donor of a vest.” 

If you are interested in making a tax deductible donation, or in having your organization, school or club conduct a fund raising event, please contact us.

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