Donated German shepherd joins Clearwater neighbor

Deputy Natalie Oestreich has a new partner.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office received a one-year-old German shepherd named Vader this week. The dog was fully funded by a former handler with ties to the agency. Oestreich lost her previous K9 partner, Ace, in early August when the dog was shot by an armed suspect.

Ace survived the incident but required amputation of his front left leg. The injury forced the German shepherd into early retirement. The dog now wears a prosthetic leg. Oestreich selected Vader personally from the available options provided by the donor.

Herb Bennett owns and heads HBK9s in Georgia. His company sells working dogs to police agencies and the federal government. Bennett previously served as a K9 handler for the Polk County Sheriff's Office. He learned of the situation involving Ace and Oestreich through industry channels.

Bennett stated that he felt a personal obligation to assist his former agency. "I basically felt the right thing to do was to reach out to them, and eventually, that turned into me donating their dog to them," Bennett said. He noted that losing a partner through natural causes is difficult, but a career cut short by injury presents a unique challenge.

Bennett added, "Natalie was going through a lot. Losing a dog just by natural causes is a big deal, and then having to have your career cut short with a partner you’re on the street doing good things with. I can only imagine." He explained that the bond between handler and dog is profound. "I never had to deal with that personally. The bond you establish.. so we, as a business, felt it was the right thing to do," he continued.

Bennett expressed hope that Oestreich never faces another tragic incident like the one that led to Ace's retirement. "When I worked there, I was treated like family, so that’s what you do for family," Bennett said. The donation covers the full cost of Vader. Oestreich is now working alongside her new recruit in Lakeland.