Officer Kara Hames was injured twice and almost loss her dream job, but now she's become Stamford Police Department's first female K-9 officer in history.

Hames was injured in 2020 and then again in 2021 and wasn't sure if she'd be able to work with K-9 officer Taz.

"I was out both times for like five to six months, really had to battle back," said Hames. "I was like, 'Can I really do this? Can I still get back into it?'"

Stamford Police Department raises and trains all of their seven K-9s in-house. Kara and Taz passed the National Police Canine Association Certification course after six months of training.

The dogs are trained for certain specialties. For some, it's narcotics or explosives, for Taz it's firearms.

Part of Hames' mandatory training includes being able to raise a K-9 in the air - a K-9 that can weight 70 to 80 lbs. That meant months of physical therapy to mend her shoulder.

Stamford police have seven K-9s which usually serve for eight to 10 years, after that they can be adopted.