Norwich — A local design and construction company, long a champion of officer safety, came through in a major way this year by donating $7,500 to the Norwich Police Department for a new K-9.

Police announced the donation in a Thursday afternoon news conference, commending the Nutmeg Companies Inc. for its stewardship of the city.

With the donation, the department covered the full cost of Ozzy, an 11-month-old German shepherd.

Ozzy and Officer Ken Wright are two weeks in to training, Chief Patrick Daley said, and should be ready to go toward the end of spring or early summer. Daley said it’s Wright’s first time being a K-9 handler.

“It’s a very sought-after position and it’s an honor when you’re selected,” Daley said. “The competition was very tough for this.”

Ozzy replaces a German shepherd that had been working with Sgt. Nick Rankin. The dog retired in December, Daley said.

Norwich police also have another shepherd and a Labrador, the latter of which is a drug-sniffing dog.

Daley said the versatile dogs have “proven they’re worth their weight in gold,” as they’ve tracked criminals and missing people, searched buildings and entertained the public.

“These dogs have found handguns thrown out of cars going 100 mph,” Daley said. “They go into a field on the side of the road and find what they’re looking for. It’s crazy.”

Daley said Nutmeg has donated money to the force over the years for things including ballistic helmets, first aid kits and rifle racks for the cruisers — always things that bolster officer safety. Department officials reached out to Nutmeg about the K-9, Daley said, but never thought Nutmeg would donate the full amount.

Without the company's help, he said police would have had to pull from other accounts, such as the one for National Night Out, an annual event that emphasizes collaboration between police and the community they serve.

“They usually keep under the radar,” Daley said of Nutmeg Companies. “But we had to recognize them on this one.”

l.boyle@theday.com