YORK Co., Va. – There’s a new four-legged deputy patrolling the streets of York County.
This week, Sheriff J.D. “Danny” Diggs formally introduced Saber, the newest K9 deputy with the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office. The one-and-a-half-year-old German Shepherd was born in the Czech Republic.
Saber the K9 (Photo: York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office)
Saber’s first official day of work was on December 4. His handler, Deputy Brett Schultz, is a 14-year veteran of the sheriff’s office.
Saber was purchased from Tarheel Canine Training in North Carolina, a full-service canine training kennel that specializes in importing and training police service dogs. Deputies went to Tarheel Canine in May to select a dog, and once Saber was chosen, he spent the next five months in daily training.
In November, Deputy Schultz went to North Carolina and spent four additional weeks training with Saber.
“We have relied heavily on our surrounding agencies to bring in a K9 when needed, and we are very appreciative of their help,” said Deputy Schultz. “We hope to be able to assist them in the future, if needed. In most cases, time is of the essence, and having our own K9 will cut this response time down significantly.”
Deputy Schultz described Saber as “a great dog with a very high drive” who “loves to train and work.” The deputy said he has high expectations for the K9.
The sheriff’s office was able to purchase and train Saber through funds seized from drug dealers.
