Eutaw Police Officer Josh Curtman is shown here with his K-9 partner, Asta, outside the Eutaw Police Department.

The Eutaw Police Department has acquired a new drug search dog.

Asta, a female German Shepherd, was intensively trained by Ricky Farley of the K-9  Law Enforcement Training Center in Samantha, AL.

The name Asta is Scandinavian  for star and  love.

She will concentrate mostly on drugs, having been trained to sniff out four of the most  popular  and most numerous illegal drugs – marijuana,  cocaine, heroin and meth.

Her handler is Eutaw Police Officer Josh  Curtman, who is in his third year with the department.

He and Asta will not only work 12 hours a  day – they will respond to call-outs  from the state  and county law enforcement  when  necessary.

Josh (pictured to  the  left with Asta) is  a  resident  of Boligee who attended Warrior  Academy, Shelton State and  the University of  West Alabama.

He also has training as a K-9 officer.

He and  Asta seem to have already formed  the necessary bond  to make them an effective team.

“We are  ready to go to work,” he said emphatically, adding that Asta has already sniffed out some narcotics in  town.

He asks that anyone who knows of drug activity in Eutaw to call the Eutaw  Police Department at 205- 372-4215.