The Marshall County Sheriff's Office has a new tool to better protect the community: a K-9 named Puma.
Puma is the first K-9 that the sheriff's office has had in many years.Â
He's a 13-month-old German shepherd with specialized training in narcotics, apprehension and tracking.
Puma and his handler, Deputy Cagan Ridgway, spent the past six weeks training in Pennsylvania. Now, they're back and ready to work in North Alabama.
Ridgway said he's excited to see just how much of an impact they'll have in Marshall County and surrounding areas.
“It’s going to help us with the searches of lost and missing people (and) suspects that take off, flee from law enforcement, that go into woods at night that we can’t get to," said Ridgway.
Puma is the only K-9 with the department currently, but they plan to add several more.
