Help revive the K-9 Program

The Clinton County Sheriff’s Office hasn’t had a police dog on duty since 2012. That marked the end of a decades-long program that began in the early 1980s, when Deputy Robert Pumpelly partnered with Dusty, a German Shepherd who became the county’s first K-9.

Now the department is working to add two K9s to its ranks.

“We haven’t had a canine unit in 13 years,” Sheriff Doug Eastes said. “We believe having a good, strong canine program here would be very beneficial to the county.”

Other agencies are moving in the same direction: Sabina already has a K-9 unit, and Blanchester is preparing to start one. Eastes said restoring Clinton County’s unit has been one of his goals since taking office in January, but he first prioritized adding more deputies to road patrol.

Reviving the K-9 program comes with a price tag – one that the Sheriff’s Office hopes the community will help cover.

The price of a K-9 unit

To launch the program by spring 2026, the Sheriff’s Office is relying on community donations to cover an estimated $173,000 in startup costs. That amount covers two dogs, specialized cruisers, equipment and training. The department will also cover ongoing expenses such as veterinary care.

Much of the startup cost comes from specialized SUVs, which must be outfitted with cages and ventilation systems to safely transport both a dog and people in custody. Deputies will also carry remote door openers on their belts, allowing them to release the dog if they need immediate backup during a confrontation.

Dogs on duty

“Every agency is looking for a certain type of dog,” said Major Richard Warner, a former K-9 handler with the Highland County Sheriff’s Office. “It’s always what the agency wants and what they look for. It may take three or four or five dogs before we get that dog.”

Some departments prefer a more aggressive animal, but Clinton County is seeking dogs who can transition easily between police work and community engagement.
“We’re not looking for an overly aggressive dog,” Eastes said.

The Sheriff’s Office plans to use its dogs not only in patrol work, but also in schools, the county’s DARE program, and at community events like National Night Out. Those appearances will give
children and families, a chance to meet the dogs, take photos and see them outside of law enforcement situations.

“And when it’s time to flip that switch and go to work, he or she is going to be working,” Eastes said.

Clinton County’s dogs will likely be Belgian Malinois or German Shepherds. Each canine deputy will be issued a badge and protective vest and will legally be recognized as an officer. They will be trained to track missing people or fleeing suspects, detect drugs, assist with apprehensions and locate items such as discarded firearms.

“We had a situation not real long ago where we were actually looking for a firearm that someone had dumped, and the dog we called in was able to locate that,” Road Patrol Lt. Chris Kirk said. “That’s a huge benefit.”

The dogs can also serve as a deterrent in tense situations. Deputies can call the dog to sit at their side while giving commands, which often encourages compliance without force.

From cadets to partners

Aspiring K-9 cadets are around 10 months old when they begin training at Southern Ohio Police Canine in Russellville, owned by retired Brown County deputy Dave Johnson. He evaluates their temperaments and pairs them with handlers before they begin intensive training.

Kirk said deputies selected as handlers will complete an initial two-month course of daily work with their dogs before taking a state certification test. Much of the training focuses on learning to read the dog’s behavior and signals so they can work effectively as a team. After certification, the teams will continue training weekly throughout the dogs’ careers.

“We’re hoping to get at least seven to eight years out of each dog,” Kirk said. “As long as the dog and handler stay healthy, that’s the goal.”

Kirk is a former K-9 handler with the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office, and his dog Senna lived with him after her retirement until she died in 2019 at 15 years old. He said pairing a deputy with a dog is a major, years-long commitment.

“We’re looking at a seven to eight-year commitment from the dog,” Kirk said. “We need that out of the handler also because they’re the ones being paired with the dog.”

The bond between handler and dog is unusually close, he added. “They’re coming to work with you; they’re going home with you. That bond is very, very tight.” Kirk would sometimes bring Senna on short vacations; a sign of how much the partnership extends beyond the job.

Learning from the past; building for the future

Eastes acknowledged that the “substantial financial cost” and staffing demands of operating a K-9 program were factors in discontinuing the county’s previous unit in 2012.

“It wasn’t the top priority, so it kind of fell to the wayside,” he said. “And if you don’t have the right investment in it, then it’s not going to work.”

This time, the Sheriff’s Office plans to build a stable financial foundation so the program can last beyond its initial launch. The goal is not only to fund the first two dogs, but also to ensure money is set aside to replace them when they retire.

Eastes also envisions the county’s K-9 unit growing beyond the sheriff’s office. He hopes to create a joint training group with Sabina and Blanchester, where the dogs and handlers would train together. That routine, he said, would allow the teams to rotate between jurisdictions when needed.

“The dogs and trainers will be used to working together as one unit, and we could interchange them, working in different areas,” he said.

A fund has been established through the Clinton County Foundation to accept tax-deductible contributions from residents and businesses. Donations can be made online at https://ccf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=1049.

Eastes said the community has supported law enforcement efforts in the past, and he hopes residents and local partners will step up again to help relaunch the K-9 program.

“I think it’s going to be a really good program, a real good asset for the county,” Eastes said. “We’re really excited about getting this thing going and moving forward.