TYRONE, BLAIR COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — Almost a year after fundraising efforts started, the K9 officer and his handler are getting ready to meet the Tyrone community at Night Out at the Pool, but before that happens, a special 8-year-old boy was the first person to meet the duo.

Instead of having a big birthday party, Cole Stine donated $500 to help the Tyrone Police Department get a K9 officer. When the dog and his handler got back from training over the weekend, it was only fitting that the first person to meet them was Cole.

After months of anticipation, the 8 year old was more than ready to finally meet Getro, Tyrone’s new K9 officer.

“He is huge,” Ttine said.

Getro, a one-year-old German Shepherd, just finished 13 weeks of training, six of those with his handler, Officer Traci Winters. She said they’re still getting used to being roommates.

“He lets me know when anybody walks by,” Winters said.

Officer Winters added she and Getro will continue to bond over the next year, but one trip to the water during training was a turning point in their relationship.

“That was the first time the dogs had ever seen water, so some of them were scared at first, but then getting them over that fear and realizing, like, I’m not gonna let you drown, and you can have fun in the water. And then from one extreme to the other, at the end he didn’t want to get out of the water at all,” she said.

As for Cole, Getro was worth the wait.

“I thought that he was cute, happy, and nice, and fluffy!” he said.

Officer Winters and Getro will be at the Night Out at the Pool Wednesday night. Folks in the community can come out to the Tyrone Community Pool and say hi from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.