1 year ago
21
ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) - The Altoona Police Department (APD) has two new furry workers.
Blue and Pongo, the Labradors, got assigned to their partners and are set to be a great help in serving the community. The K-9s are from West Virginia and are experts in their field.
"We worked with experts in the field to help identify kennels and breeds which ultimately lead us to these two breeds," Police Chief Joseph Merrill said.
Operation Our Town was able to raise the funding for the APD to have the K-9s join the force. Merrill has wanted to have K-9s be a part of the team for a time and is excited to see how they'll benefit the community.
Both of the pooches are trained in narcotic detection and the tracking of persons.
"We haven't had k-9s since before I started and I have been here for about 17 years" Merrill said.
Merril also said the department is young and very energetic and the officers are always looking for ways to do their job better.
"Some of that is through professional growth and trying to learn, which our officers are amazing at and some is them wanting equipment and tools," Merr...
English (US) ·