“I always dreamed of becoming a police officer and I also had a dream to be a K-9 officer,” Bennett said.

LaRue County Sheriff Russell McCoy said Ace is a multi-purpose dog that mostly will be used as a drug and tracking K-9. He has been trained to detect drugs on a person or in an area and also can track the scent of criminals who have fled, missing persons and more.

McCoy said Ace can search for weapons on a person or in an area and also other articles of clothing or items.

McCoy said they received Ace free from the Louisville Metro Police Department and the only expense has come from training, kennel, food and other supplies needed for a police K-9.

McCoy said his department has invested about $4,000, which has been paid mostly through their drug forfeiture fund.

“The average cost for a police K-9 starting out is around $12,000,” McCoy said. “We are ecstatic to be able to get such a quality police K-9 like this at such a low cost.”

McCoy said Ace has his national certification for drugs and tracking. The dog spent seven weeks with a retired Kentucku State police K-9 officer and that he tremendously has improved since then.

“What we sent him to was kind of like a basic training for police K-9s,” McCoy said. “He had a slight attitude before he went to the training, but he came back a different animal.”

Ace stays at Bennett’s home in a kennel and he also has a kennel at the Sheriff’s Office. McCoy said Ace continues to improve each day and that he can’t wait until the K-9 starts getting a lot of use and experience on the force.

“We are excited and as time goes on he will be used for more things,” McCoy said. “We hope to have community event and school demonstrations in the future, too.”