When police dogs Jaeger and Ziva embark on a manhunt, they’ll now be more prepared to handle the risks involved in their work.

A couple of weeks ago, the Seattle Police Department tracking dogs received new bullet- and stab-resistant vests from a Massachusetts-based nonprofit, Vested Interest in K9s Inc.

The group supplies vests to law enforcement dogs who need them and has distributed 431 vests since its inception in 2009.

German shepherds Ziva, whose partner is Officer Mark Wong, and Jaeger, who works with Officer Rory Smith, are litter mates, descended from a long line of police dogs.

Their new vests will protect them from injuries inflicted by common handguns and blunt force trauma, said Sandy Marcal, founder of Vested Interest in K9s.

The vests run about $950 each, but Vested Interest acquires them at a government contract price that lowers their cost. They donate to interested law enforcement agencies that may not otherwise be able to provide such protection for their pooches.

“In many cases, the departments don’t have the budget to do it,” Marcal said.

The vests should last the dogs five years, she added.

Seattle Police Department’s police dogs haven’t been injured in recent years, but in 1999, police dog Radar was shot by a gunman and the bullet grazed his head.

However, he recovered and hit the streets again in six weeks, said Sgt. Eric Chartrand of the SPD Canine Unit.

Jaeger and Ziva will need some training to work in their new vests, which are heavier than their previous tracking harnesses.

However, Chartrand welcomes the extra protection afforded to the dogs.

“We are very thankful for the organization’s work and the extra protection for our canine partners,” he said.

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