Berkley welcomes newest police dog -- Bear

BERKLEY, Mich. (FOX 2) - The newest member of the Berkley police force, Bear, passed the K-9 Academy and has officially joined the team.

A new division has been launched at the department that includes Bear, his handler Officer Brian Anderson, and Officer Dan Schewe, who spend 9 years working with his K-9 named Xander.

Bear (Photo: Berkley Police)

The K-9 division will assist with finding missing people, tracking illegal substances, locating evidence and suspects, and building bonds with the community.

"We are beyond thrilled for the positive response to our K-9 program fundraising drive," said Matt Koehn, Berkley Public Safety chief and director. "Our goal has always been to make this great program as cost-neutral as possible through fundraising."

The department raised $65,338, which will cover the start-up costs of the program that equates to more than two years’ worth of expenses.

"While the larger donations quickly helped us to achieve our initial goal, we are amazed by the outpour of donations made by our residents and the local community. We even had a few families in the City hold lemonade stand fundraisers" Koehn said. "These donations from our local businesses and residents really touched our hearts… We have also been contacted by another citizen who has committed to donating a K-9 medical kit and ballistic vest for Bear.