“Marvin” joins the Amherst Police Department

AMHERST — “Marvin,” a 16-monh-old German shepherd hailing from Hungary, is the newest member of the Amherst Police Department.

Marvin is joining Matthew Frydryk as part of the department’s second K-9 unit. He will conduct regular patrols, but may take part in operations like locating missing people, detecting narcotics, searching buildings and apprehending criminals. Marvin also will be available at times to meet residents.

The start of a second K-9 team comes two years after Dash, a 17-month-old male German Shepherd from the Netherlands, and officer Thomas Clark formed the department’s first unit.

The new K-9 unit is funded by a $25,000 grant from The Stanton Foundation, which supports canine welfare and promotes international nuclear security, based in Cambridge. 

Frydryk, an officer in Amherst since 2008, traveled to Pennsylvania last month to meet with the canine service importer. He hand-picked Marvin to join the team.

The duo are training for narcotics detection and patrol operations. 

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.