LCPD is excited to introduce the newest member of our agency: K9 Nato vom Bullerjahn, a.k.a. Nato!
K9 Nato is an 18-month-old, male German Shepherd who was born and raised in Wardenburg, Germany, where he received IPO training, which is a popular dog sport in Germany where dogs are tested for their skills in Tracking, Obedience and Protection. He was then brought to Adlerhorst International in Riverside, CA and hand-picked by Officer Molly Wehrley out of a large group of Belgian Malinois and German Shepherds.
As our city's first K9 and Handler team, Ofcr Wehrley felt it was important to choose a K9 that met the criteria set by our agency in regards to our deployment needs (track and bite), and that presented itself as a compatible partner, and K9 Nato quickly rose to the top of the large selection of available K9s with his friendly demeanor and great work-drive that she believes will translate into a K9 that is simultaneously community-friendly and apprehension-ready.
K9 Nato spent his first week getting settled and doing some ride-along time with Ofcr Wehrley. Although K9 Nato's initial week in Oregon brought some very unwelcoming weather, he was still happy and ready to go to work every day, which she feels is great for a K9 working on the coast.
Over the next few months, Ofcr Wehrley and K9 Nato will be building their bond and extensively training to achieve their state certification before moving to a regular patrol shift.
LCPD would again like to express our gratitude to the community for their generous donations to help us achieve our goal for a K9 Program.