JANESVILLE—With weeks of training behind them, a deputy and his 17-month old K-9 partner are hitting the streets for the Rock County Sheriff's Office, according to a news release.
Deputy Nathan DeBoer and a German shepherd and Malinois mix named Sasha are the office's second K-9 team, working to sniff out drugs, find people and subdue subjects, authorities said.
The pair spent four weeks with a North Carolina-based company, training together and becoming a team, according to the news release, before joining the Sheriff's Office Aug. 8.
In all, adding the K-9 team will cost $12,903, Capt. Jude Maurer said.
The Slovakia-born Sasha and her certification were $11,945, Maurer said, while the training course and travel expenses ran $958.
Funding for the second K-9 unit came from money seized in drug cases, Maurer said.
The pair joins Deputy Shawn Nolan and his K-9, Dex, who the Sheriff's Office said “provided immeasurable aid” in a number of cases.
Along with their work for the Sheriff's Office the dogs are often called in to help police departments around Rock County, Sgt. Wayne Hansen said in May.
DeBoer and Sasha will work second shift, while Nolan and Dex work third, according to the news release.
Sasha will live with DeBoer when she's not on duty, an arrangement that in the past led to disputes over whether deputies should be paid for the time they spend caring for the dogs at home.
The Sheriff's Office has worked out a system to avoid that issue, Hansen said. Deputies will work slightly shorter duty shift to compensate for work they put in after hours with the dog.