Boston PD German Shepherd Puppy Dons K-9 Gear

Tuco puppy lead — Boston PD German Shepherd Puppy Dons K-9 Gear (CREDIT: Jonathan Kozowyk and David Shilale)

Tuco puppy jump — Boston PD German Shepherd Puppy Dons K-9 Gear (CREDIT: Jonathan Kozowyk and David Shilale)

Tuco is a puppy with big hopes of being a member of the Boston Police Department K-9 Unit one day.

Owned by BPD dog handler Troy Caisey, a 22-year veteran of the force who has trained more than 350 canines at a facility in Jamaica Plain during the course of his career, Tuco captured people’s hearts online Monday when Massachusetts Vest-A-Dog, a non-profit organization, posted an image of the young pup on their Facebook page.

… The photo was being promoted by Vest-A-Dog so the organization could help sell calendars that contain a collection of pictures of other police canine units. The proceeds from those sales go toward equipping the K-9s with vests to wear while responding to calls and other essential equipment.

Vest-A-Dog said that the photo was taken over the summer when the pup was just 9 weeks old and known as “Batman.” The puppy is currently 6 months old and has been named “Tuco” after Tuco Salamanca, a Mexican drug kingpin in the AMC’s hit series Breaking Bad.

For more on Massachusetts Vest-A-Dog, visit the organization’s Facebook page or visit MaVestADog.org.