NC Agency's Newest K-9s Are Rescue Pit Bulls

Last week, North Carolina's Clay County Sheriff's Office announced, proudly, that two new narcotic detection dogs had joined the team. Their names are Phantom and Sarah — and both are pit bulls, rescued from shelters and trained to be key members of the force, reports theDodo.com .

"What will be the most shocking to some will not be that Clay County Sheriff's has the new K-9 Deputies, but rather their breed," the department wrote on Facebook , adding: "even though pit bulls get a bad rap in the media, they aren't all bad dogs and can do great things for the communities they serve."

K-9 Sarah with her handler Deputy Harper. (Photo: Clay County Sheriff Facebook)

Phantom was pulled from a Texas shelter by UniversalK9 , a group that rescues and trains shelter pups for use in law enforcement. Sarah came from a shelter in New York, and got her second chance thanks to the Animal Farm Foundation . Not only did this save Phantom and Sarah from their uncertain futures, according to the sheriff's office, it saved them money.