WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (WENY) -- A law enforcement officer with the Schuyler County Sheriff's Office has received a new piece of equipment to keep her safe in the field. One of the department's K-9s was gifted with protective body armor and her handler shares more about it.

A few months ago, Deputy James Spencer of the Schuyler County Sheriff's Office's K9 Unit attended a training group with his police dog Elza, a five-year-old German Shepherd. At the training, a member of the Corning Police Department told Spencer about Vested Interest in K9s, a non-profit organization that has provided almost 6,000 bullet and stab-protective vests to dogs of law enforcement across the country. Elza is one of the most recent recipients as shared in a Facebook post from the Schuyler County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday.

Elza and Deputy Spencer are one of two teams that make up the K-9 Unit at the Schuyler County Sheriff's Office. The other team being Deputy Andrew Yessman and K-9 Digit.

Digit and Elza are trained and certified in narcotics detection, tracking, suspect apprehension, and handler protection.

In some instances, the two dogs are put in the path of danger alongside their handlers and both Schuyler County Sheriff Kevin Rumsey and Deputy Spencer say they need just as much protection as humans.

"So we reached out to Vested Interest in K9s and they have a program where if you kind of do a couple of things that they would like you to do, we could get a vest donated from them," said Sheriff Rumsey.

Several months ago, Deputy Spencer applied to Vested Interest in K9's program that provides bullet and stab-protective vests to police dogs, free of charge. If a dog meets certain criteria, they will be eligible to receive a vest. On VIK9's website, the qualifications are as follows:

  • K9 must be actively employed in the United States (law enforcement/first responders only, currently we do not vest military K9s OR private security K9s)
  • K9 must be certified with his/her current handler
  • K9 must be at least 20 months of age
  • K9 does not have a current issue ballistic vest
  • K9 is not scheduled for retirement within 12 months of the date of inquiry

Deputy Spencer applied around the same time Elza's vest expired and they were approved for the new body armor that is set to last for five more years.

"So she now has an active vest that's actually fitted for her," said Deputy Spencer. "We measured it so, it's actually just like we wear vests that are fitted for us, this vest is fitted to her."

The deputy added that working in a rural county can sometimes mean that it takes time for his partner to arrive at a scene meaning Elza may have to serve as backup instead.

"Now that she has a vest that can stop, hopefully, to save her in any situation that we don't want to be into but we will be put into, most likely, at some point," said Deputy Spencer.

Sheriff Rumsey added, "In the law enforcement world, we always say that canines are -- they're a tool, they're part of us to do our job with, but they're also more than that. I mean they become part of our family, so what we can do to protect them while they're out there doing our jobs with us, is of the utmost importance."

Both Rumsey and Spencer say that the K-9 unit at the Schuyler County Sheriff's Office is entirely volunteer and donation-funded. They say they are both very thankful to VIK9s for their help in continuing to keep their dogs and, in turn, the community safe.

As a way to raise money for the unit and other protective gear, equipment, and medical care for the dogs, the Schuyler County Sheriff's K-9 Unit is hosting a Chicken BBQ event on February 9 at the Montour Moose Club starting at noon. Dinner is $12 and tickets are on sale now. All proceeds benefit the K-9 Unit.

If you would like to buy a ticket for the event or make a monetary donation to the K-9 Fund, you can contact the Schuyler County Sheriff's Office by calling 607-535-8222.