Duluth Police K9 Luna to Receive Donated Body Armor in Memory of K9 Haas

DULUTH, Minn. – A Massachusetts non-profit organization has donated a bullet and stab protective vest to the Duluth Police Department’s K9 Luna.

The non-profit organization that is donating the vest, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., says their mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States.

K9 Luna’s vest will also be specially embroidered with the sentiment, “In memory of K9 Haas, Duluth Police Department, MN.”

K9 Haas was shot and killed in the line of duty during a domestic assault call in January 2019.

“It’s all tactical decision making we try not to put our dogs into no-win situations and we try not to put them into situations to where there’s no benefit to the risk that we are taking,” said Sgt. Kelly Greenwalt, the K9 Unit Coordinator with the Duluth Police Department.

The vests are around four to five pounds each and involve some getting used to for the dogs.

“With almost everything we do with the dogs it starts out as a game we try to associate a game or fun or some type of reward with the new item we are trying to train the dog with whether it be a harness a muzzle a vest anything that we do,” said Sgt. Kelly.

The Duluth Police Department says the vest is expected to arrive within eight to ten weeks.

The donation to provide one protective vest for a law enforcement K9 is $950.00.