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By LANCE GAITHER

lance.gaither@bluegrassnewsmedia.com

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office has a new K9 unit. Viki is a 1½-year-old Belgian malinois/German shepherd mix trained by Southern Coast K9 in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

“Our last seven dogs have been bought from that facility,” said Viki’s handler Deputy Logan Smith. “They have the best dogs and trainers in the world. We searched through hundreds of dogs and came up with Viki for her temperament. She is a great dog. We have been together about a month and week now, not crazy long. We are still getting to know each other. She is still young, she is still a puppy. She has got good training and we will go a long way with that.”

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Viki was purchased by the Lincoln County Fiscal Court through grants and funds seized during drug arrests. She will accompany Smith during his normal patrols.

“She will be riding around with me and conduct traffic stops with me,” Smith said. “We haven’t got a bust yet, but we are looking to open her up and get her on one soon. She is young, she has got a lot of time. She is going to spend the rest of her life here in Lincoln County where she will hopefully help this community get this bad stuff off the streets. It is her job and she loves to do it.”

Viki is Smith’s first K9 unit.      

“People always say it is a different lifestyle, but I have loved it,” Smith said. “Our sergeant kept throwing out the idea of getting another dog and I just kept pestering him until he gave it to me.”