The new Muncie police dog is finally here. 'The prince of darkness,' Ozzy Osbourne announced in September he would be adding to Muncie's police force by purchasing a new K-9.
Officials say the dog was given the name Ozzy, in honor of the music legends generosity.
Sgt. Jay Turner picked up the German Shepard Tuesday in Peru, Indiana. Turner immediately took Ozzy to the horse barn in downtown Muncie to give him a bath and introduce him to his family.
"He is a duel trained narcotics patrol dog," Turner said. "One of the reasons the dogs are important are they can go in and secure an area, making it safer for the patrol officers."
Ozzy is trained to:
- Find narcotics
- Search buildings and areas
- Secure a scene before police go in
- Track potential suspects
- Find lost people
Turner said that even though police dogs are associated with a big price, they really end up paying for themselves.
"We actually save money, and it's tremendous how much these dogs can do," Turner said. "When we first pull up and the dogs start barking or they see a canine car... a lot of times whatever is going on stops right then. People don't want to see the dogs released."
Turner said he is excited Ozzy is finally here and he cannot thank the Osbourne's enough, but he said it is going to be sad to see his old police dog, Rover, retire.
Turner said Ozzy starts his first shift with the Muncie Police Department Tuesday night at 10. Although he's already gone through extensive training, he still has more to do starting Wednesday.
Along with purchasing the dog for the department, Turner said the Osbourne's also donated $1,000 to the Muncie Police Dept. to help pay for veterinarian bills and food.
