The Woodland Police Department took to social media to praise one of its own officers, though unlike most law enforcment, this officer walks on four legs, on a leash, and has a thick coat of fur.

On May 9 at around 7:20 p.m., officers responded to a report of a strong-arm robbery at the County Fair Mall. While investigating the incident, officers located the suspect vehicle and its occupants within the same shopping complex.

A traffic stop was initiated, according to a statement from the department, but the driver would not cooperate, leading to a delay in the investigation and ultimately arrested. The two passengers in the vehicle were also removed as officers continued their investigation into the robbery.Officers called in their secret weapon: K9 officer Ricky arrived on the scene and performed an open-air sniff of the vehicle, which resulted in an alert. A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered a loaded semiautomatic firearm with the serial numbers filed off, hidden in a small backpack along with ammunition.

The front passenger, 38-year-old Rudolph Gonzales, a resident of Woodland, was arrested for possession of the firearm after his identification was found inside the backpack. Additionally, officers discovered over 5 grams of methamphetamine in Gonzales’s possession. He was booked into the Yolo County Jail on multiple weapons-related charges.