Jackson County Sheriff’s Officer Miquela Sullivan said her K9 Partner Ivar will receive stab and bullet-proof armor in October.
Sullivan said Ivar is on the front lines with her at all times and she felt he should have the same protection that she does. She said after she had gone through the process of ordering Ivar’s armor from the nonprofit, Vested Interests in K9s, she found out that her partner’s protection would surpass her own.
“He’s actually getting a better vest than what I have,” Sullivan said. “What I have it can only do so much. It’s very limited. It will stop and slow down certain impacts, but it’s not a hundred percent.”
Sullivan said Ivar is a full patrol dog meaning he is a bite dog, a narcotics dog, and a tracking dog. She said although Ivar can be intimidating when working certain situations, he had also helped find autistic children that had wandered off.
Sullivan said Ivar currently wears a vest every day and is used to wearing one for long periods of time. However, she said the new armor is hefty and will require some getting used to.
“It’s not something he will wear all the time, it’s only for certain situations,” she said.
Sullivan said she had started the application process in June for a vest fitted specifically to Ivar. She said the vest will take any impact from his neck all the way back to his hind legs and she is thankful to Vested Interests in K9s for their generosity.
“I get people all the time that are very appreciative of just knowing that he is here,” Sullivan said. “We have two K9s for the department. But it’s a very mind-settling thing for the community to know if something was to happen we have him to take out those stressful situations, help me and my coworkers in certain situations as well.”
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