K-9 Dogs Have Had Their Day

SEBRING Confidence issues can affect those who walk on two legs and those who walk on four.

That was the case the Highlands County Sheriff's Office faced with one of its canines, Boss, a German shepherd. The dog was with the department a little over two years, but began having confidence issues, according to Sheriff's Deputy Scott Williams.

Boss was deployed for apprehension on four separate occasions, but would not engage the suspect in each instance, Williams said. This represented a complete turn-around for the dog.

"In training, the dog would do awesome," Williams said.

Boss was taken to a veterinarian to see if the problem was, perhaps, a medical issue. The dog, as it turned out, had a cracked tooth that was fixed. The confidence problem, however, was not.

Now, Boss is going to try and be resold as a single-purpose drug dog. Filling his void on the eight-dog canine unit is Caine, who comes from Europe and cost the sheriff's office $9,500, according to Lt. Jess Purvis. It was purchased with federal forfeiture funds.

"He's still got a lot of training to go through," Purvis said, adding that the dog has between four and six weeks of work left, including bite and obedience training.

Officer Bret Hinkle, K-9 handler with the Sebring Police Department, will also soon have a new four-legged partner. Fea, the flat-footed retriever, has been with the force since 1999 and is coming up on retirement.

"She's just getting to be an older dog," Hinkle said, who added he has been the department's handler for about a year.

The SPD is working to raise $15,000 so they can purchase a multi-purpose dog, provide training for the handler and additional needed equipment, according to Chief Thomas Dettman.

This new dog will be able to detect narcotics, track suspects, apprehend criminals and search buildings.

Until then, Fea will continue to be an SPD "officer" and serve as a drug-detection animal. After her service is up, the handler has the option of keeping the animal.

A self-professed dog fan who already has one of his own, Hinkle said he is considering bringing Fea home with him.

"She's very lovable," he said.