SOUTH PORTLAND – The newest member of the South Portland Police Department is getting some special equipment to go along with his graduation from training last week.
Trigger, a member of the city’s K-9 patrol, is one of 16 police dogs in Maine slated to get a bullet- and stab-resistant protective vest, thanks to a $15,000 grant from the Petco Foundation.
Using money raised at 1,200 Petco stores nationwide, including in South Portland, the Petco Foundation has given approximately $15 million each year to animal causes since its founding in 1999, including $100 million dedicated to the care of companion animals.
Other money raised helps fund animal-welfare organizations, spay and neuter efforts, animal-assisted therapy programs and humane education.
The police dog grant comes to South Portland via a Petco Foundation grant to Vested Interest in K-9s, Inc., an all-volunteer charity based in East Taunton, Mass.
Founded in 2009 to help law enforcement agencies equip K-9 dogs with potentially lifesaving body armor, Vested Interest has since outfitted more than 443 law enforcement dogs in 37 states with $415,000 worth of protective gear. At $950 each, the vests, made by Armor Express of Central Lakes, Mich., comes with a five-year warranty. Custom embroidery on Trigger’s vest will be provided by Regency Police Supply of Hyannis, Mass.
South Portland Police Department Officer Kevin Theriault and his K-9 partner, Trigger.
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