Former handler donates K9 Vader after Polk County shooting forces Ace to retire

LAKELAND, Fla. - A Polk County deputy is back with a new four-legged recruit just months after her K9 partner, Ace, was shot and forced into retirement following a line of duty shooting in early August. 

The new dog, a one-year-old German shepherd named Vader, was completely funded by a former handler with deep ties to the Polk County Sheriff's Office. 

Surviving a violent encounter

The backstory:

In early August, K9 Ace was shot in the line of duty by an armed suspect. The German shepherd survived, but his front left leg had to be amputated.

Ace has since received a prosthetic leg and is reportedly as happy as can be. The severe injury forced him into early retirement, though, leaving Deputy Natalie Oestreich without her partner.

Georgia trainer steps up

What they're saying:

Herb Bennett, the owner and head trainer of Georgia-based HBK9s, heard about the heartbreaking situation. His company regularly sells working dogs to police agencies and the federal government.

Bennett, a former K9 handler for PCSO, felt a personal obligation to help his old agency. He decided to donate a new dog, and Oestreich picked Vader herself.

"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.

"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," Bennett explained. "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."

‘That’s what you do for family'

Big picture view:

Bennett hopes the deputy never has to experience another tragic incident like the one she faced with Ace. 

"When I worked there, I was treated like family, so that’s what you do for family," he said.

The Source: The information in this story was gathered from FOX 13's Carla Bayron, who gathered details from the Polk County Sheriff's Office, as well as a direct interview with Herb Bennett of HBK9s.