When Krista Verito heard about Montville Police Department’s K-9 officer Molly, she and her family wanted to show their support for the dog.

That support took the shape of a bulletproof vest, which was presented to the dog last week at a Montville Town Council meeting.

Verito said it was nice to see the vest on the yellow Lab, even though the dog has had the vest for two weeks already. At the fundraiser, said she got a little misty eyed prior to the meeting when she interviewed with WTNH for the 6 o’clock news.

“We wanted to make sure Molly was safe, so ...,” said Verito, who said the vest was also stab-proof.

Molly is trained to sniff for narcotics, according to Mayor Ronald McDaniel. He said the vest is a “great thing” because it will protect the dog, who is as much an officer as the humans who work for the police department.

Molly has been with Montville Police for about a year, according to Lt. Leonard Bunnell. He said the dog was an asset in cracking down on drug crime in town.

Raising funds over the summer for the vest was fairly easy with the support of townspeople, according to Verito. She said that within hours of getting the green light from Bunnell and McDaniel, she raised hundreds of dollars.

Verito continued her campaign through the summer by selling T-shirts and soliciting donations while handing out fliers about her campaign at the Stop & Shop grocery store in town. Her 4-year-old son Carter, who she said loves K9 officers, helped her.

Raising money was intuitive for Verito. She grew up around law enforcement — her mother works in records at Norwich Police Department — and with a love of dogs.

She described Molly as “a typical yellow Lab.”

“She’s very, very friendly. She loves giving kisses,” Verito said.

Verito and her family ultimately raised $1,500, of which $950 was used to make a donation to the non-profit Vested Interest in K9s, which provided the vest. The vest is embroidered to say “To protect you while you protect and serve us,” according to Verito.

A portion of the remaining funds went to buy stickers that Off. Addison Saffioti hands out to children when he takes Molly to visit schools. Saffioti is the officer who works with Molly and cares for her. That leaves about $475 – a fund balance Verito hopes to build on so she can purchase a vest for another dog in the future.

t.townsend@theday.com

@ConnecticuTess