Plumbing 
K-9 Greiff in his body armor.
Uvalde Police Department K-9 Greiff now sports a bullet and stab protective vest, thanks to a donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.
Greiff’s vest was embroidered with the sentiment “Born to Love-Trained to Serve – Loyal Always.”
UPD was notified of the award, which consisted of about $2,000 worth of body armor and opioid-overdose antidote Narcan for their K-9 officer, in March.
German Shepherd Greiff was 1 year old when he joined UPD in August of 2019, taking the place of the department’s previous drug-detection dog, Max, who retired in July of 2019.
Greiff is trained to detect the scent of narcotics and drug paraphernalia, and can conduct building and vehicle searches. He trained with a handler for two weeks at Worldwide Canine in Boerne before joining the department.
UPD Officer Bruce Ramos is Greigg’s handler.
Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., established in 2009, is a 501(c)(3) charity whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States.
This potentially lifesaving body armor for four-legged K9 officers is U.S. made, custom fitted, and National Institute of Justice certified. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. has provided over 4,714 vests to K-9s in all 50 states at a value of $6.9 million, made possible by both private and corporate donations.
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. K-9s with expired vests are also eligible to participate. There are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K-9s throughout the United States.
Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. accepts tax-deductible contributions in any amount, while a single donation of $960 will sponsor one vest. Each vest has a value of $1,744-$2,283, weighs an average of 4-5 pounds, and comes with a five-year warranty.
Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provides information, lists events, and accepts donations at www.vik9s.org. Contributions may be mailed to P.O. Box 9, East Taunton, MA 02718.