CENTERVILLE, Georgia — For almost two years, Bono and Kali have helped the Centerville Police Department solve crimes and catch suspects.
Now, they have the proper vests to keep them safe from bullets and stab wounds.
Sergeant James Sauls is Bono's handler. He's the one who applied for the vests to the non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. From there, a sponsor funds each vest.
"Their safety and our safety is, of course, utmost. We go into situation and wear a bulletproof vest. We're not gonna try to put them in situations where they necessarily need the bulletproof vests."
Each vest weighs about four to five pounds and each breastplate is customized with the name of a person, chosen by the sponsor.
These sponsors have the option of donating it in honor of someone or as a gift.
Captain Billy Boney with the department says these vests bring peace of mind to the handlers.
"I handled two dogs in my career and one of them died. It was just like a child dying. It's good to know that we have that little bit of extra protection for the dog in case he does get in a combat situation."
Now, the dogs can also serve and protect with some more protection of their own.
Vested Interest in K9s Inc. has provided over 3,000 vests to dogs like K9s Kali and Bono across the country. To find out more, check out their website here.