MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - The Meridian Township Police Department has added a new ‘officer’ to its police unit. Meet Uby, a canine in training with his handler, Officer Linn. Uby is a hard working German Shepard with keen intelligence and work ethic. He was raised, trained, and titled in Hungary before joining the Meridian Township P K-9 Unit.

Meridian Township takes great pride in introducing Uby who is working in partnership with his handler on a daily basis, “I’m thrilled to work with my new four legged partner,” said Officer Linn.

Dogs are pre-trained in Europe and come with their tracking, apprehension and article- search training completed. Once they report to their assigned country they are trained in scent work with either narcotics or explosives. Uby will mainly be used for tracking suspects, narcotics, and missing people. "These dogs are incredible tools for our community," Linn said. "Nothing can match a K9's scent work and that's what they're here for." The handler works with the dog on a continuous basis to build trust with the animal. Dogs are like humans in that they learn acts and behaviors by repetition. The more they work together, the better they perform in the field.

Training the handler is as important as training the dog. The goal is to have the handler retain as much information as possible, work with the dog continually and build a strong bond. Linn says that Uby is friendly and hard-working and takes his training very seriously. Uby proudly wears his badge while on duty conducting drug searches and people tracks. He is outfitted with the basic equipment as required based on the dog’s specialty including a leather leash, nylon harness and tracking lead.