photo by: Contributed

Patrol Service Dog Taz with the Lawrence Police Department.

The Lawrence police welcomed a new patrol service dog to their ranks on Friday.

The 2-year-old dog’s name is Taz, and he is trained to work patrol shifts and uncover narcotics alongside his handler, Cpl. Matt Weidl, according to a social media post from the department.

“Taz is a 50-pound Belgian Malinois and has proven to be very fast and motivated by his tug toy. So, be careful out there if you’re trying to run,” the post said.

photo by: Contributed

Patrol Service Dog Taz and his handler, Cpl. Matt Weidl, with the Lawrence Police Department.

Taz is replacing recently retired Cheeseburger, who left the force in June after eight years of service, as the Journal-World reported. Cheeseburger was rehomed after retiring and now lives with Lawrence police Sgt. Ron Ivener.

Taz joins two other service dogs at the department, Mack and Shadow.

photo by: Chris Conde/Journal-World

Sgt. Ron Ivener gets close with his new dog Cheeseburger on June 8, 2023. Cheeseburger retired from the Lawrence Police Department after 8 years of service and Ivener’s family is taking the dog in for its retirement.