Lexington K-9 Officer Usher gets his body armor

Usher, a K-9 with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, got new bullet- and stab-resistant body armor on Tuesday.

Usher is a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois from the Netherlands. He is the K-9 partner of Master Deputy Tom Fine.

Body armor is critical to protecting an active service dog’s life, officials say. But it’s expensive.

The $2,400 for the vest was donated by the Columbia Kennel Club through the Heroes Vest Fund. It was the 16th donation arranged by the group.

This story was originally published November 10, 2015 at 8:23 PM.