Crime & Safety

Update: Roseville Officer and Police Dog Assist in Online Fundraiser

Groupon fundraiser for Vested Interest in K9s raises donations for K-9 bullet-proof vests.

A national non-profit group that featured a Roseville police officer and his K-9 dog as part of its Facebook Groupon campaign that has raised more than $55,000 to buy bullet-proof and stab-protective vests for police dogs.

In featuring Roseville police officer John Jorgensen and his dog K-9 Otis; Vested Interest in K9s Inc. profiled its first Minnesota K-9, Sandy Marcal, president of the Massachusetts-based group, told Roseville Patch.

Marcal said her group plans to present a bullet-proof to Officer Jorgensen for K-9 Otis. The Groupon proceeds will allow Vested Interest to outfit 53 police K-9’s in 18 states including Minnesota, Marcal said.

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"We chose to feature Vested Interest in K-9s, Inc. in our 'Best of' series because we had such a great experience working with them earlier in 2012," said Kyle Klatt, Groupon Grassroots upervisor said in a press statement. "Even though we knew they had a compelling initiative, Groupon donors proved, with astounding contributions, that this is a mission worth supporting."

The online fund drive began on Christmas Day and ran through 11:59pm on Jan. 9, Marcal said. The online $10 donation, suggested folks purchase a GROUPON (which is a tax deductible donation) through a secure website where all funds were allocated to purchase ballistic vests for our four legged crime fighters, she said.

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Jorgensen has had Otis since his previous dog, K-9 Major, was stabbed four times in a police pursuit in late 2010 and was left paralyzed. K-9 Major did not have a vest, Marcal said.

Subsequently, K-9 Major was retired and Jorgensen got a new dog, Otis, as a K-9 helper last spring.

To see a video about officer Jorgensen and his two K-9 partners,click on to the following link: http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=977315.

For more information about Vested Interest in K9s visithttp://www.facebook.com/l/lAQETmlLdAQHYNWPRaL3SKM4aWt-wbuq97RzB1Qw_LWYEjA/www.vik9s.org or call 508-824-6978.

Marcal said Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is a 501c(3) all charity non profit in Massachusetts whose mission is to raise funds to provide vests to law enforcement K9s throughout the United States. In 2012, 66 vests which cost more than $1,000 were donated to law enforcement agencies throughout the country.

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