This week, Officer Murphy of the Warrington Police Department received a tangible thank-you for his work. He consumed the honorific — a vanilla custard — in only a matter of seconds and found its topping to be especially delicious. The frosty snack didn’t come with fudge, a cherry, or candies. It was crowned with a dog biscuit, which Murphy, a K9 corps member, perhaps liked best of all.

Murphy and his partner, Officer Stephen Plum, enjoyed the cool treat, a gift from the local Rita’s manager. The water ice chain delivered the frosty desserts to all officers on duty that day.

Including the one covered in fur.

The five-year-old Dutch Shepherd has been working with Plum since 2018. His areas of expertise are patrol work and sniffing out drugs. The funding to bring him to the force came from the community.

Plum and his partner have a history of above-and-beyond activities. During the pandemic, according to a PBS39 report, the pair produced story-reading videos for children stuck at home during lock downs.

“It was a huge hit,” Plum said of one of their story times. “I think it got 16,000 views.”

The project’s intent was to “…show people that we’re still here. We’re here to help out. And me and Murph are still doing our thing,” Plum said.

More on this K9 appreciation in Warrington Township is online.