METHUEN — There's a new member of the Methuen Police Department, but he's not ready to go into the station yet. He's not really used to dealing with people.
And, he stays in the back of the police cruiser.
His name is Bub. He is a 11/2-year-old, 75-pound Belgian Malinois — the department's newest crime-fighting dog.
Bub — whose name may be changed soon — will begin 14 weeks of training today to make sure he has the skills to become a working police dog. If he passes, he'll be on the streets of Methuen alongside partner, K-9 Officer Aaron Little.
Bub replaces Ian, an 11-year-old German shepherd who is being retired after nine years working for the Police Department. Ian will live with Little as a family pet.
"He's been excellent," Little said of Ian. "My kids love him. He's our baby now."
With Ian retiring, Little went on the search for a new dog, and the money to pay for it. Police dogs, imported from Europe, cost about $4,000 to $6,000.
Through his own fundraising, Little collected close to $4,500 from fellow officers, residents and businesses to purchase Bub. He received a $1,000 check from Wal-Mart and also received contributions from the police patrolmen's union, the firefighters union, the Methuen Exchange Club, and the Methuen/Salem Rotary Club. Officers Nick Malone and Christine Nicolosi and Animal Control Officer Jo Anna Marian also gave donations.
"We had nowhere in the budget to pull money from, so he took care of it himself," said acting Chief Katherine Lavigne, crediting Little for soliciting the donations. "Having a dog is such an important tool of quality policing."
Little bought the dog from Canine Solutions Training Services, a Maine-based company that sells police dogs.
Little and Bub will go to training together through the Boston Police Department. Training is free.
In training, Bub will learn tracking, building searches, agility and obedience. His breed is considered excellent police dogs for their intelligence and speed, Little said. Bub will live with Little and serve as his full-time partner on the force.
On patrol, Bub will be used to track suspects and search buildings. For example, if a suspect is hiding somewhere in a building, police will use Bub to quickly find him.
"When I was on midnight shift patrols, I loved it when the dog went in first," Lavigne said. "It's an effective tool."
The Methuen Police Department also has another shepherd on the force, Duncan, who is trained with Officer Jeff Torrisi, and a bloodhound named Sugar, trained with Officer Rob Prindle.
