Indiana school kids chip in for police dog's protective vest

EAST CHICAGO, Ind. (AP) - Elementary school students in northwest Indiana got to meet a police dog who now has a his own bulletproof vest thanks to their fundraising efforts.

East Chicago police officer Eddie Bastardo and his K-9 sidekick, Mitt, stopped by Harrison Elementary School Thursday to thank the students.

Bastardo told them the 3-year-old German shepherd accompanies gang and drug units when they serve high-risk warrants.

He says many times, Mitt is the first one to enter a building, so it's important for him to have the custom-made protective vest, which cost more than $700.

The (Munster) Times reports (http://bit.ly/1Vnjvk4 ) that students raised money doing chores, selling popcorn and emptying piggy banks.

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Information from: The Times, http://www.thetimesonline.com