Delivered: K-9 Merlin rocks new body armor

That's our boy. 

Late last year Team Wendy partnered with Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. to provide a protective vest for K-9 Merlin of the Grand Junction (CO) Police Department. 

The vest protects Merlin against bullet and stab wounds. It is emroidered with the sentiment "This gift of protection provided by Team Wendy." 

You can read the official announcement from GJPD here. 

There is an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States. In his two years at GJPD, Merlin has become a pro at narcotics detection and even tracked down a suspect wanted in a string of vehicle thefts. 

Merlin, a Dutch Shepherd, was born in Slovakia on July 4, 2017. 

The donation to provide a protective vest for a police dog is $950. Each vest has a value between $1,744 to $2,283, and a five-year warranty. On average, each vest weighs about 4 lbs. 

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., also known as "VIK9", is a non-profit whose mission is to provide protective vests to law enforcement dogs across the country. Since 2009 it has supplied ballistic vests to more than 3,600 dogs.