PAYETTE, Idaho (KBOI) - A rescue dog is not only getting a new lease on life, but she's helping to serve the community too.
When the Payette Police Department had to replace their old K9, the abandoned dog rose to the challenge.
Officer Randall Yates and his dog, Lilly, have been inseparable since early November, when the dog first started training for the K9 unit.
Yates said that when they found her, they didn't intend for her to be a drug-detection dog, but they knew right off the bat that she was something special.
"Our handlers from before noticed the drive of the dog that was interested in ball handling and met all of the qualities we were looking for in a K9," said Mark Clark, Payette Police chief.
Lilly is trained to find marijuana, heroine, cocaine and meth. Once the handler tells her to search for the odor, she'll get as close to it as she can and sit once she finds it.
"It's a lot of work, but it's a lot of fun too," Yates said. "You get to learn a lot about the animal. You get to learn a lot about yourself."
Clark said the initial cost of the dog, extra pay for the handler, and health and grocery bills can make the K9 unit expensive.
"But I think the benefits of the program, when we're out being proactive on drug enforcement outweighs those cost by far," Clark said.
The K9 program started in the 90s, and Clark said they have had three different dogs and handlers throughout those years.
Officer Yates feels lucky to be partnered with Lilly, and Lilly is lucky to have a second chance.
"It means a lot, and everybody in the department just loves her," Yates said.
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