North-east police officers have confirmed that two young canine companions have joined their team to help sniff out crime across the city.
The furry trainees, Hamish and Luna, have already shown plenty of pet-tential during their basic training at the Operational Support Division’s Dog Unit, based in Aberdeen.
Hamish will hope to make a positive impact on the community in his role of drugs detection, while Luna will serve as a general purpose police dog, who will be used to track criminals, locate the public and patrol the streets with her two-legged handler.
Hamish, a rescue dog from Edinburgh, is a seven-month-old springer spaniel while Luna, at just 11 weeks old, is the first Malinois Dutch Herder cross to be used by Police Scotland.
North East Police Dog Instructor, Constable Steve Warden said: “We are delighted to welcome the two new dogs to the Aberdeen Dog Unit.
“I am confident that both dogs will go on to become operational police dogs in the future and play an important role keeping people in the north east and further afield safe.
“Hamish and Luna are showing great potential and are doing well with their basic puppy training. Hamish is already performing to a very high standard and will start an official training course in the coming months.
“Despite being only eleven weeks old, Luna is showing the required characteristics of a general purpose police dog. This is the first time a Malinois dog has been brought to the region and I have high hopes that she will thrive in the policing environment.
“These breeds are regularly used by police and security services around Europe and I am sure she will thrive working within Police Scotland.”
Luna replaces Bodie been transferred to a new handler in Glasgow.
The recruits will hope to be barking up the right tree when they begin hounding the streets of Aberdeen in the coming months.