Anderson Cooper Donates Protective Vests to Entire K-9 Officer Unit

Need another reason to love CNN’s Anderson Cooper? Probably not, but here’s one anyway.

The acclaimed (as well as classically handsome) news anchor recently donated enough money for every K-9 at the Norfolk, Virginia Police Department to be able to wear a protective ballistic vest.

Cooper’s act of kindness was prompted by the death of a four-year-old Belgian Malinois K-9 named Krijger. The pup was tragically killed in a shootout on January 11, 2016, following officers’ response to a domestic violence call. The armed male subject was reportedly holding his wife hostage and when he refused to drop his gun, began firing at the officers and fatally wounded Krijger.

The death of the brave pup, allegedly could have been thwarted had he been wearing a protective vest. These vests, however, are expensive, amounting to about $2,200 a piece.

That’s where Cooper stepped in.

Via the Spike’s K-9 Fund, a charity based in Virginia, the famous anchor donated sufficient funds for every member of Norfolk’s K-9 unit to wear a vest.

Back in 2015, Cooper had interviewed the charity’s founder, retired Navy SEAL Jimmy Hatch, and has remained in touch.

Upon Cooper’s extremely generous donation, the police department expressed their gratitude on Facebook.

If you’re interested in helping other K-9 officers obtain a lifesaving ballistic vest, you can donate funds in Krijger’s memory via Spike’s K9 Fund.