Oak Bluffs may not have a dog officer but it now has a dog. Selectmen voted last week to hire Buster the black Lab to serve as a K-9 officer.

Given the town’s financial predicament, selectmen were wary of approving the hire, but police chief Erik Blake and Oak Bluffs officer Jeffrey Trudel assured the board that Buster will come at no added cost to the town.

“I told Officer Trudel this cannot cost us one dime and he has done an amazing job doing that,” Mr. Blake said. Mr. Trudel plans to train the dog who will also serve as the Trudel family pet.

Buster, a rambunctious 10 month-old, also appeared briefly before the board and was taken out after he rolled on the floor trying to bite through his leash. Mr. Blake said the dog was identified by all six police chiefs and the county sheriff as an important asset for the Island. He emphasized that all of Buster’s costs were covered: Buster had been donated by the Barnstable County sheriff’s department, and a motor vehicle donated to the town by the Edgartown fire department has been refitted to accommodate the dog. Registration and insurance costs will be covered by the sheriff’s department; veterinary care has been donated by the airport, and Steve Bernier, the owner of Cronig’s market, is donating Buster’s food. Mr. Trudel’s eight-week absence to train the dog will be covered by an officer who will be reimbursed with drug seizure money from the Martha’s Vineyard Task Force.

“Drug seizure money has to be put toward enforcement and that’s what this is,” said Mr. Trudel.

Mr. Blake said once he is trained, Buster will be used to enforce drug laws, track missing children and Alzheimer’s patients.

“We just don’t have that asset,” the chief said. “Everyone will remember the Peeping Tom incident that we had for many years. What people don’t know is that we actually called Barnstable County to pick up their dog and bring him over here to help us track.”

He continued: “If this assignment started to cost money I’d have to pull the plug.”

In the end selectmen voted 4-0 to bring Buster onto the force; selectman Gail Barmakian abstained from the vote.

“The worst-case scenario is that Officer Trudel winds up with a beautiful dog,” said selectman Greg Coogan.