New K-9 added to drug traffic battle
By Suzanne Werre
Editor
The McLean County Sheriff’s Department is trying to snuff out drugs by sniffing out drugs.
The department’s newest weapon is a young black lab named Remi, who recently became the partner of Deputy Craig Salhus, who lives in Underwood. Remi has quickly become just another member of the Salhus family. The Salhus kids even got to name him – they came up with Remi.
Salhus says Remi is a little hyper – the perfect temperament for a drug dog. The department was able to get the lab from a kennel near Butte.
Since he’s never been in charge of a drug dog before, Salhus and Remi were trained at the same time by sheriff-elect JR Kerzmann, said Salhus. Salhus had to be trained how to handle the dog as his new trainer, and Remi had to learn how to seek out drugs. Once they were trained, both were sent to Minnesota to be certified, he added.
"Actually the dog does a better job than the new trainers usually," he said. "The trainer has to learn to do a lot more than the dog does – he just uses his nose."
