Kettering police welcomes new K9 to the force

KETTERING — A new four-legged officer will be patroling the streets of Kettering soon.

The police department has welcomed a new K9 and handler to the force.

>> Live Doppler 7 Radar | INTERACTIVE

The 17-month-old German shepherd named Ox is from the Czech Republic. He will replace K9 Fuse, according to a Facebook post by the police department.

Fuse has been serving the department for 13 years and will remain with the department until Ox’s training is completed.

Ox will be a dual purpose K9, with training in narcotic detection and patrol functions. He will go through three months of training in the police department’s K9 Academy with an expected May graduation date.

>> Driver trapped for hours after crash into house, found by passing officer

His name was chosen because the dog is “strong as an ox,” according to the post.

Ox’s handler will be officer Brandon Harrison.

The department on Tuesday shared on Facebook that it would be adding a new member to the force.

The department posted pictures of three possible K9s on Tuesday and asked the public which dog they’d select before announcing the purchase of Ox Thursday.

>> Footware company Crocs coming to Dayton, creating 130+ jobs

The public can follow Ox’s training on the page, according to the post.

The purchase of Ox was made possible through a donation to the department.