When it comes to police dog fashion, protective vests are all the rage. In Aurora, the K9 unit is seeking donations to vest up, and six dogs are ready to match their handlers’ safety gear.

The Aurora Police Department has partnered with nonprofit 30×30 Fundraising to raise more than $21,000, the total cost of six vests with leashes for its six working dogs, K9s Bill, Cyrus, Jax, Loki, Martigan and Neko, according to a department news release.

Across the country, police departments are partnering with nonprofit organizations to get wearable protection for their furry colleagues, since protective vests for K9 units are not generally included in department budgets.

“All six working dogs are vital law enforcement team members,” according to the news release. “The bullet-resistant vests provide protection against stabbings, shrapnel, impalement, environmental hazards, and handgun bullets.”

Donations are accepted on the 30×30 website.

All donations receive tax deductible receipts online and any surplus money will go toward other K9 needs, according to the site.

As of Tuesday, two full vests were paid for with donations for K9 Loki and K9 Bill, according to the fundraising page.

The K9’s daily duties include “pursuing the most violent offenders, taking narcotics off the streets, article searches, area searches and building searches,” the release said. 

Aurora Police Department is one of many across the country using nonprofits like 30×30 to protect its K9s in the field.

Throughout the nation, Kevlar vests for police dogs are generally not included in most department budgets, according to 30×30. The nonprofit serves as an assistant to help departments stay within their budgets by getting discounts on K9 vests and helping departments fundraise for them. 

In Denver, a recent donation from nonprofit Vested Interest secured a vest for K9 Boomer, according to a Denver Sheriff’s Department news release Wednesday.

In early 2023, a Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department K9, Graffit, was shot and killed during an attempt to take a suspect into custody on the Colorado School of Mines campus.

Aurora Police Department’s K9 unit was created in 1975 with one dog, Moose. Since then, the unit has grown to seven dogs who work swing shifts seven days a week, according to the city’s website.