Former handler donates K9 Vader after Polk County shooting forces Ace to retire

A Polk County deputy is back with a new four-legged recruit just months after her K9 partner, Ace, was shot and forced into retirement following a line of duty shooting in early August. The new dog, a one-year-old German shepherd named Vader, was completely funded by a former handler with deep ties to the Polk County Sheriff's Office. Surviving a violent encounterIn early August, K9 Ace was shot in the line of duty by an armed suspect. The German shepherd survived, but his front left leg had to be amputated.Ace has since received a prosthetic leg and is reportedly as happy as can be. The severe injury forced him into early retirement, though, leaving Deputy Natalie Oestreich without her partner.Georgia trainer steps upHerb Bennett, the owner and head trainer of Georgia-based HBK9s, heard about the heartbreaking situation. His company regularly sells working dogs to police agencies and the federal government.Bennett, a former K9 handler for PCSO, felt a personal obligation to help his o