YORK COUNTY, Va. (WAVY) — The York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office welcomed a K-9 member to their office last week for the first time since 2000.
K-9 Saber, a 1-year-old German Shepherd, started his first day of work with the Sheriff’s Office on Dec. 4, according to Officer Shelley Ward with the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office.
Ward says Saber was purchased from Tarhill Canine in North Carolina, which specializes in importing and training police service dogs.
Deputies went to the facility in North Carolina back in May to select a dog. Once Saber was chosen, he trained daily for five months to prepare for his future K-9 job, Ward says.
Saber’s handler is Deputy Brett Schultz, a veteran of 14 years. Schultz traveled to North Carolina in November to work with Saber for an additional month before bringing him back to York County, according to Ward.
Schultz said, “Saber is a great dog with a very high drive and he loves to train and work. I have great expectations of him.”
“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 York-Poquoson Sheriff J.D. Diggs said. “In most cases time is of the essence and having our own K-9 will cut this response time down significantly.”
