Tupper Lake Police Department K-9 officer Jordan Nason and JD are pictured at the department this week. (Photo provided by the Tupper Lake Police Department)

TUPPER LAKE — The Tupper Lake Village Police Department’s K-9 JD is expected to receive a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a donation from the nonprofit organization Vested Interest in K9s Inc.

The vest should arrive in eight to 10 weeks and is sponsored by Vikki Johnston of Chester, Ohio and will be embroidered with the sentiment, “Protection in memory of Max and Martha Rettig.”

Vested Interest in K9s was established in 2009 to assist law enforcement agencies with this potentially lifesaving body armor for their four-legged K9 officers. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s Inc. provided more than 2,200 protective vests in 50 states through private and corporate donations at a cost of more than $1.9 million.

The vests are custom made in the USA by Armor Express in Central Lake, Michigan, and the donation to provide one protective vest for a law enforcement K-9 is $1,050. Each vest has a value between $1,795 to $2,234 and a five-year warranty, and an average weight of 4 to 5 pounds.

The program is open to dogs actively employed in the U.S. with law enforcement or related agencies who are certified and at least 20 months of age. New K9 graduates, as well as K9s with expired vests, are eligible to participate.

Vested Interest in K9s Inc. accepts tax-deductible donations of any denomination at www.vik9s.org, or they can be mailed to P.O. Box 9 East Taunton, MA 02718.

“Donations and sponsorships, including this award for JD’s vest, have been invaluable to the creation and continuation of our new K9 team, and we are more than grateful to all those that have supported this endeavor,” Tupper Lake police Chief Eric Proulx said.

The Tupper Lake Police Department K9 unit was formed in the early part of 2016. JD joined the department in July 2016 and attended the New York State Police K9 Academy. Officer Jordan Nason and JD began patrol in the village of Tupper Lake during the first week of October 2016.