Officers with the Novato (CA) Police Department will now have a new partner to assist in patrol operations and narcotics detection.

The agency said on Facebook , "We would like to introduce K-9 Nova as the newest member of our department. Nova is a two year old Belgian Malinois who joined our force earlier this month. Nova will be working alongside Officer Brian Ringo in our patrol division. Nova and Officer Ringo will attend a five-week training together before being deployed as a team out on the street. Nova is our third police dog, joining K-9 Rookie and K-9 Koa in our canine unit.

The department's K-9 program now consists of three canines trained in handler protection and narcotics detection. These police dogs cover the City of Novato and are also available to respond to critical incidents.

"You may see our police dogs at the community events we host throughout the year," the agency said. "Our canine program has strong support from our community members and organizations like Pennies for Police Dogs. Police dogs like Nova, Koa and Rookie make Novato a safer place to live and work. Welcome Nova!"