Bennington PD welcomes new K9 officer

BENNINGTON, Vt. (NEWS10) -- The Bennington Police Department has a new friend. A second K-9 officer is joining the department's ranks.

Twelve-week-old Stark was named after Maj. Gen. John Stark, who became known as the Hero of Bennington during the Revolutionary War. The black Labrador retriever puppy will join the department's veteran K9, Gracie, after he's trained in evidence location, narcotics detention, and tracking both criminal suspects and missing individuals.

"Our community has changed a bit. There's more demand for a K9 team," Police Chief Paul Doucette said. "With the switch to 12-hour shifts, we are now going to be able to have two K9 teams. One will be a day team, and one will be a night team."

Bennington VFW Post 1332 recently raised money in support of Stark's training and the K9 division.

Tune in on Friday morning when NEWS10's Ryan Peterson will formally introduce K9s Stark and Gracie and learn how the VFW's generosity will support the K9 program well into the future.