The Wheeling Police Department’s K9 Unit formally introduced a new member today. K9 Sheik is a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois trained in narcotics detection and suspect tracking/apprehension.

K9 Sheik, along with handler Officer Brandon Stanley recently spent several weeks training over the fall and getting acquainted with each other at Merry K9 Services in Norwich, Ohio. Sheik was trained in policing commands, and apprehension techniques and was presented with various illegal drug interaction scenarios.

Sheik joins current K9s Jericho and Virgil, who are also trained in narcotics detection, and Ozzy, who is trained in explosive detection. Her addition to the department now gives each of the four patrol shifts an assigned K9 officer.

Sheik was purchased through the city’s allotment of West Virginia opioid settlement funds.