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Thanks to a recent donation, a K9 officer with the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office will soon be sporting some brand new protective body armor.

They're probably the cutest members of the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office, and now one of them is set to be even more handsome in his new gear. According to a post on the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office Facebook page, deputy police K9, Ranger, will be sporting a brand new bullet and stab-protective vest, thanks to a donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest In K9s, Inc.

Vested Interest In K9s is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide protective vests to dogs of law enforcement agencies across the country, the post noted. They've already provided over 4,601 vests to K9s in all 50 states at a value of $6.9 million, made possible by both private and corporate donations.

The post said Ranger’s vest will be embroidered in honor of former Olmsted County K9 officer, Rajko, who passed away due to cancer last July. Specifically, it will read, "In memory of K9 Rajko, EOW 7/30/21”. 9 Rajko, EOW 7/30/21."

And these vests are some pretty impressive pieces of equipment. The post noted they're custom-fitted for each canine, weigh between 4 and 5 pounds, come with a 5-year warranty, and are valued at between $1,744 and $2,283 each. K9 officer Ranger should be sporting his new vest while on patrol in Rochester and southeast Minnesota in 8 to 10 weeks.

The program is open to U.S. dogs that are at least 20 months old and actively employed and certified with law enforcement or related agencies. K9s with expired vests are also eligible to participate. There are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States, the post noted.

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