They've given him four assignments and he has "aced" them all.

Ace, a 20-month-old German Shepherd was certified and fully trained as a drug dog for the Ironton Police Department Dec. 3. Since then, Ace has been proving his mettle, making two drug seizures and two suspect apprehensions, a record that pleases Police Chief Bill Garland.

"Mark came to me about a year ago and said someone had agreed to donate a German Shepherd to our department," Garland said. "We obtained the dog and started looking for donations to help get him certified and trained."

Training a dog for a police dog is not cheap: Anywhere from $6,000 to $10,000. Also, Ace must be certified every two years just as a human officer must.

Already, several area entities have stepped forward with donations

of money and services to help defray the cost of training and care, and FOP President Pam Neal Wagner said she hopes others will follow suit.

"We're still continuing to raise money," FOP President and Ironton police officer Pam Neal Wagner said. "There are vet bills, the dog must be fed, it can get extremely expensive. We would like to raise enough funds to come up with a patrol vehicle that is appropriate for him."

The Ironton Moose Lodge, Lawrence Federal Savings and Loan, Carey Tires and Spriggs Distributing have all provided funding.

Also, Ted Frazier, who is Jackson County Sheriff's Office K-9 handler and an instructor for the Ohio Peace Officers Training Academy provided training and certification.

Local dog handler Tom Gladeau and Shawnee Run Kennels of Lima also provided training.

As is the case for human officers, Ace's education is ongoing. There is hope of using him in drug education programs, perhaps for cadaver searches and other police work.

His handler, Sgt. Mark Wilson, said he hopes to have the dog certified as a (Police Dog) PD-1 by April, totally trained in all aspects of police work.

Wilson said in the meantime, he and Ace are getting acquainted and learning to work together.

"He's a good dog. It takes some getting used to," Wilson said.