HE'S UGLI BUT GOOD; HOUND FINDS CAREER WITH POLICE PATROL.

Byline: Mary Lou Aurelio Daily News Staff Writer

They went from Bad to Ugli at the Burbank Police Department.

A police dog named Bad was not working out, so the dog was retired from the force. When the Burbank Women's Club learned of the department's loss, however, they came to the rescue and donated a dog - named Ugli.

Now in training, the German shepherd is learning to live up to his name should he come upon a robber in hiding in Burbank some night. And if someone ever threatens Ugli or his officer partner, he would become quite unfriendly, said Officer Craig Bragdon, Ugli's trainer.

But if you're ever lost in a remote area and Ugli is the dog that finds you, chances are he will belie his name and greet you with a big sloppy kiss, Bragdon said.

``We want our dogs to be friendly, and to do the job that they need to do from finding lost souls to bad guys,'' Bragdon said.

Burbank Officer Theresa Geier will be Ugli's partner when he finishes training in about two weeks, Bragdon said. Bad, as it turns out, has retired to Geier's home.

Ugli is from the Netherlands and is trained as both a patrol and a narcotics dog. His name doesn't have the same ring in Holland, where it is pronounced ``oog-ley.''

The K-9 unit at the Burbank Police Department has two other dogs, but they are reaching retirement age. They will need to be replaced sometime in the next year or two, and the department would like to add a fourth dog for round-the-clock coverage.

The Woman's Club of Burbank purchased Ugli for the department for $5,500 and hopes the community will pitch in to defray these costs.

Julia Larsen, club president, said since 1993 ``we've had a couple of small fund-raisers and we have a dog box that we pass around at every meeting, but now we want to get the community involved.''

``We've been trying to raise funds for the dogs, because they are such an asset for the community. They're very important to the safety of our community and we want to get the community involved. They're wonderful animals,'' Larsen said.

``They're the unsung heroes. If you have a lost child, they can pick up a scent, where an officer doesn't have that ability. If somebody is lost, that's who they turn to,'' she said.

Bragdon said the unit needs sponsors and donations, ``from a nickel on up, whatever someone can afford from the heart.''

``We are out there to serve the public,'' Bragdon said. ``They are a part of your family as much as anyone else's, and we would like this to become a community effort.''

To contribute to the K-9 fund, which is tax-exempt, send donations to:

Burbank Police K-9 Fund, P.O. Box 10775, Burbank, CA 91510.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

PHOTO (1) Burbank Police Department Officer Theresa Geier teams up with Ugli, and 18-month-old German shepherd from the Netherlands.

(2 -- ran in Valley edition only) Ugli, an 18-month-old German shepherd, is the Burbank Police Department's newest recruit.

John Lazar/Daily News