10-4, K-9
BY ALYSSA MEIER
Editor
The McLean County Sheriff’s Department is looking to expand its number of employees, adding two more sets of eyes, and four more pairs of legs to the team.
"I would like to add two more narcotics, tracking and evidence K-9s to the department," Sheriff J.R. Kerzmann said.
Kerzmann is on the hunt for two more dogs for the sheriff’s department, hoping to double the amount of K-9 officers by the end of the year. He said he looked around earlier this year for potential dogs in the area, and just needs another day to go out and make a decision.
"We can find a pound mutt, if you will, with a high play drive," Kerzmann said. "If these dogs are located in local shelters and are between the age of 1 and 2 and have this high play drive we put them through a series of tests."
Kerzmann said a pound dog costs a donation price of $150, versus a $10,000 purebred dog that has to be brought in from out of state.
Once a dog is brought in, it is trained with its handler and certified. This was an easy process for Deputy Justin Cote, who said he immediately had a bond with his partner Chance the first day he brought him home in November of 2014.