MONROE — K9 Arlo of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office has received his donated body armor.

Arlo’s bullet and stab protective vest was provided through a donation from nonprofit organization Vested Interest in K9s Inc. Arlo’s vest was sponsored by Bob St. Martin of South Hadley, Massachusetts, and is embroidered with the sentiment “In memory of Meg. St. Martin.”

The donation was announced in November. The sheriff’s office announced that the vest had been received in a Facebook post Thursday, complete with a photo of Arlo wearing the olive-drab vest labeled “Sheriff K-9.”

Vested Interest in K9s, established in 2009, is a 501(c)(3) charity whose mission is to provide protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States.

This potentially lifesaving body armor for K9 officers is U.S. made, custom fitted, and certified by the National Institute of Justice. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. has provided more than 5,435 vests to K9s 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. K9s with expired vests are also eligible to participate. There are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States.

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Vested Interest in K9s accepts tax-deductible contributions in any amount, while a single donation of $985 will sponsor one vest. Each vest has a value of $1,800, weighs an average of 4 to 5 pounds, and comes with a five-year warranty.

For more information or to learn about volunteer opportunities, call 508-824-6978.

Vested Interest in K9s provides information, lists events and accepts donations at vik9s.org. Donations may be mailed to P.O. Box 9, East Taunton, MA 02718.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Monroe County Sheriff’s Office K9 officer gets donated protective vest