VIDALIA — Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office’s newest member is well heeled, highly trained is of Dutch decent and came to the office from Germany.

Echo, CPSO’s new K-9 deputy, is a Dutch-shepherd, imported from Germany by Torch Light K9 of Oklahoma, a company that specializes in training dogs for law enforcement work, said CPSO Chief Deputy David Hedrick.

“He is a beautiful dog, highly intelligent,” Hedrick said.

The sheriff’s office obtained Echo approximately two weeks ago for $4,000 paid for by funding from narcotics task force revenue obtained by selling drug-seized properties, Hedrick said.

Echo is trained not only to sniff out narcotics and discarded items, Hedrick said, but also is trained to apprehend suspects.

Echo and his handler, K-9 Deputy Tony Godbold, are in Tulsa, Oklahoma, through the end of January for training, Hedrick said.

“They are at a month-long training for bonding, obedience and handling,” Hedrick said, adding Echo is already trained and the current training is so Goldbold will be able to work with Echo.

Hedrick said he anticipates Echo and Godbold to be back and in service by early February.

“We’ve never had a dog of this caliber,” Hedrick said. “He is going to be able to assist our narcotics officers in ways former dogs have never been able to do.”

Hedrick said he anticipates Echo will be voted into the Special Operations Group of the CPSO and a full member of the force shortly after his return from training at the end of January.