POLAND TWP., Ohio (WKBN) — It was a big day for one of Poland’s latest recruits, K-9 Pogo!

WKBN previously introduced you to this rescue pup that turned K9 last December.

Since then, Pogo has been busy training, leading up to Tuesday, when she was officially sworn in at the Poland Township building.

What makes this girl special? She was a rescue dog from Tennessee. Poland Township police worked with the Throw Away Dogs Project, a nonprofit that helps find stray dogs a new purpose in life.

“I know the capabilities — some of these dogs — that are in these shelters,” said Poland Township police Chief Greg Wilson. “Personally, it was very important for me for us to not only get our K-9 program up and running but for it to be a sheltered animal as well.”

“If you go to these breeders, you can be paying upwards of $10,000-$20,000 for a specific breed of dog, and then you still have to train it,” said Amanda Hamilton, president of Every Dog Matters Rescue in Youngstown. “If you come to a local shelter, you can find the same characteristics in a dog, but maybe the adoption fee is $250.”

Hamilton was there Tuesday evening for the swearing-in. She said rescuing a dog from a shelter and putting them in service frees up space in shelters to help save more dogs.