CHUBBUCK — The Chubbuck Police Department has welcomed its newest, hairiest law enforcement officer — K-9 Nelson.

Nelson is a 1-year-old Belgian Malinois, according to a news release from the Chubbuck Police Department. He comes from The Next Level Canine Institute, where he proved he has what it takes to join the department’s ranks.

The Chubbuck City Council was asked to support the police department in pursuing a K-9 program in May 2025. Cpl. Jeremy Kunz had been researching the program behind the scenes. Kunz is now Nelson’s handler.

The City Council saw the value in the program and supported the endeavor. During the last Chubbuck City Council meeting, Nelson was introduced to Mayor Rodney Burch and the rest of the council.

Nelson and Kunz are going through hundreds of hours of training and certification. They are training on a variety of topics, including suspect searches, apprehensions, controlled substance detection, handler protection, obedience and agility.

So far, Nelson has proved himself up to the challenge of completing his training. He was described in the news release as a little spicy. Anyone who sees him in the community is welcome to pet him but should ask Kunz first to avoid surprising him.

The Chubbuck Police Department expressed gratitude to the mayor and City Council for their support. The department also thanked The Next Level Canine Institute for providing Nelson with his initial training and starting him on the path to success.