Worcester PD Welcomes Its Newest K9 Unit

WORCESTER, MA - It's not just bipedal officers in the Worcester Police Department.

This morning, the police welcomed their newest quadrupedal service animal. K9 Mac, an 18-month-old Black Labrador Retriever, will assist in locating non-criminal missing persons. He will also train in explosive and ballistics detection.

"The department's other dogs are used to find and locate suspects, said Mac's handler, Dan Pennellatore. "This dog will be used to find people in need of help.

Mac and Pennellatore recently completed a 14-week patrol school. He is certified in tracking and area and evidence searches. The lab will also be trained in explosive and ballistic evidence detection.

"We are going to use him to locate missing kids, people with dementia or Alzheimer's and those suffering from mental health episodes," said Pennellatore. "These cases are time-sensitive, so it's good to have the dog and not wait for the resources to come from outside of the city."