TORRINGTON – In a recent Facebook post the Torrington Police Department announced the department’s K9 officer, Angel, received a valuable donation this week in memory of K9 Hobbs, Des Moines, Iowa who died in December 2023 from a sudden illness. 

“We are excited to announce that K9 Angel will receive a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from the nonprofit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. and will be embroidered with the sentiment, ‘In memory of K9 Hobbs, Des Moines, Iowa EOW (end of watch) December 12, 2023,’ the Torrington Police Department explained in their post. “Delivery is expected within ten weeks.” 

Torrington Chief of Police, Matt Johnson, expressed the department’s gratitude and appreciation for the donation and he explained the department was excited for the opportunity to keep K9 officer Angel safe.

“We are excited about the new vest for Angel. Vested Interest in K9s is an amazing organization that focuses on supporting law enforcement working dogs and keeping them safe from a variety of hazards,” Johnson explained to the Telegram. “On our team, Angel is strictly utilized for her fantastic sniffing abilities, but she can still be exposed to the same dangers that our officers are. We believe this new vest will improve her safety as she serves our community.”

K9 officers are exposed to the same types of dangers as human law enforcement officers such as shootings, stabbings, attacks, accidents, drug exposures and other line-of-duty dangers, according to Project Paws Alive. 

“Officer Ringrose is Angels’ handler, and he does a great job prioritizing her training and safety. He became aware of the grant at a training event and applied for it,” Johnson explained. “Thankfully, Angel was selected, and the rest is history.”

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is a 501c (3) non-profit with a mission to provide bullet and stab-protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the country, according to their website. 

Since 2009, the organization has donated more than 5,707 K9 ballistic vests, 3,300 K9 opioid reversal NARCAN kits, more than $429,435 of K9 medical insurance premiums through our Healthcare for K9 Heroes program. In addition, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc has also donated $30,000 in sponsored decoy training seminars, three patrol vehicles custom fitted for a K9 unit, valued over $50,000 each and one Advanced Canine Medical Trainer (K9 Diesel) a full-body state-of-the-art skills trainer for the canine first responders that simulates active breathing, audio queues and over 28 different features and medical intervention sites at $62,000, the website explains. 

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. programs are made possible with funds raised through contributions, grants and fundraising events, the site explains. Currently, the program has K9s vested in all 50 states since 2009. 

“A big thank you to Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. for supporting K9 Angel and other four-legged law enforcement officers nationwide,” the department expressed.