Deputy Jeff Neal and K-9 Searles are just getting to know each other.

“He’s come a long way," said Neal.

Neal has been a deputy for almost 19 years. Searles, a 22-month-old male Dutch Shepherd mix from Hungary, is one of the newest recruits.

“He is special because he was named after Glenn Searles, who was killed in the line of duty with us in 2003," said Neal.

Searles was killed during a traffic stop on 481. He was helping a driver stranded during a snowstorm when he was hit by another vehicle.

His legacy includes a life-saving law. The Ambrose-Searles Move Over Act requires drivers to slow down and try to move over when an emergency car is on the side of the highway.

Neal worked with Searles.

“He was definitely one of the good ones,” Neal said.

Now, Neal is paired with a new K-9 companion. It’s the first time the sheriff’s office has honored a fallen deputy by naming a K-9 after him.

“Obviously, knowing Glenn a little bit adds a little bit to it as well," said Neal. "So the fact that they did is kind of a special thing.”

Neal is working on building that brotherhood with K-9 Searles. In K-9 training, they spend a lot of time working on tracking.

“It’s like any other dog with proper training," said Neal. "Reps over time is what we say. It takes a while.”

During the 400-hour class, Neal teaches K-9 Searles to follow footprints. The dog recognizes broken grass and churned up dirt. That can lead to a lifesaving discovery, like a missing Alzheimer's patient.

“I don’t have children, but say we do find somebody. It’s like your kid is hitting a home run in Little League, or something like that," said Neal. " 'Cause you put all this time and effort into work, and sometimes you don’t find everybody all the time, but when you do, it's awesome. You know you potentially save a life, too.”

K-9 Searles graduated from his first training program last week. He and Neal work together to search for criminals, find explosives and complete other patrol functions.

There is another training in the fall, and monthly training during the K-9's seven-year career.