The York-Poquoson Sheriff's Office welcomed a new officer, K-9 Saber!
The one and a half year old German Shepard was born in Czechoslovakia, and his first official day on the job was December 4, 2018.
Saber's handler, Deputy Brett Schultz, is a 14-year veteran of the Sheriff's Office.
It has been a long process to get Saber on the streets of York County. Saber was purchased from Tarheel Canine in North Carolina who specializes in importing and training police dogs.
Deputies traveled to North Carolina back in May to select a dog. Once Saber was selected, he spent the next five months training on a daily basis.
In November, Deputy Schultz traveled to North Carolina and spend four additional weeks training with him. Saber and his training were paid for by funds from seized drug deals.
K-9 officers play an important role in law enforcement by being a tool to potentially save time, and resources.
“We have relied heavily on our surrounding agencies to bring in a K-9 when needed and we are very appreciative of their help. We hope to be able to assist them in the future if needed," said Sheriff J.D. “Danny” Diggs. "In most cases, time is of the essence and having our own K-9 will cut this response time down significantly.” Deputy Schultz added, “Saber is a great dog with a very high drive and he loves to train and work. I have great expectations of him.”
Welcome to the team, Saber!
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