KINGSTON, R.I. – August 16, 2018 – The University of Rhode Island Police Department’s explosives detection dog will receive a vest that will protect him from bullets and stabbings thanks to a donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.

Officer Figaro’s vest is sponsored by an anonymous donor and will be embroidered with the sentiment, “This gift of protection provided by Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.” Delivery is expected in the fall.

“This is a great donation from a wonderful organization,” said URI Police Sgt. Erica Vieira, Figaro’s first and only partner and handler. “We are very grateful to Vested Interest in K9s for this donation, as resources for this kind of equipment are not readily available. With the violence we see in society today and an increase in violence targeting first responders, you just don’t know what can happen. Figaro will join all of the other members of the force who have protective, ballistic vests.”

Figaro, the department’s first explosive-detecting dog and only one in South County, has been on the job since December 2016. Figaro was imprinted on 1,600 explosive odors during a six-week period, and then joined Vieira to complete eight weeks of training with the Connecticut State Police Canine Training Unit, Emergency Services. Figaro is on the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Food Reward system so he trains every day. URI is the only university or college in the state and one of only three in New England to have a trained canine on the force that can detect bombs and bomb and firearms residue.

Since his arrival, Figaro has become a favorite at URI, with students, faculty and staff greeting him warmly as he makes his rounds with the sergeant.

“He is such a sweet dog and he is great to work with. He is the most loving dog ever. But he becomes serious when he goes to work. When he enters a building, he immediately starts sniffing walls, floors and seams,” Vieira said.

Figaro came from the Guiding Eyes Program, where he was trained for one-and-a-half years. “His puppy raiser there, Mekalea Chamblis, who has raised more than 20 dogs, did a great job, but Figaro was a little too rambunctious to be a seeing eye dog,” Vieira said.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is a 501c (3) charity located in East Taunton, Massachusetts 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. The non-profit was established in 2009 to assist law enforcement agencies with this potentially lifesaving body armor for their four-legged canine officers. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. has provided more than 3,000 protective vests, in 50 states, through private and corporate donations, worth $5.7 million dollars.

The program is open to dogs actively employed in the U.S. with law enforcement or related agencies that are certified and at least 20 months old. New canine graduates, as well as canines with expired vests, are eligible to participate.

The donation to provide one protective vest for a law enforcement dog is $950. Each vest has a value ranging from $1,744 to $2,283. The 4- to 5-pound vests have a five-year warranty. There are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement canines throughout the United States.

For more information or to learn about volunteer opportunities, please call 508-824-6978. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provides information, lists events, and accepts tax-deductible donations of any denomination at www.vik9s.org or mailed to P.O. Box 9 East Taunton, MA 02718.