Union County, Ark., deputies get 2 new K-9 aides, AR

It’s been several years since the Union County sheriff’s office had a K-9 officer, but now they have two, thanks to the generosity of local citizens.

Sheriff Ken Jones and the dogs’ handlers proudly showed off the new officers on a sunny afternoon recently at the Union County Jail.

Hammer, a Dutch shepherd handled by Deputy Dub Ingram, and Yeager, a German shepherd handled by deputy Ross Burton, are used to detect drugs, search for people and, if necessary, attack on command, Jones said.

The two dogs were purchased from the Little Rock K-9 Academy through private donations.

Jones said the El Dorado Civitan Club and the Union County Community Foundation were important partners in helping buy the dogs. Students at Northwest Elementary School are also chipping in to raise money for bullet-proof vests for the animals.

“The foundation provided the avenue for funds to be raised and provided those donors a tax deduction for donating,” Jones said. “The Civitan Club provided an avenue for a grant to be awarded from the foundation in which to make the purchase. I cannot say thank you enough to those people who donated to this endeavor or those two organizations that helped make the canine purchase possible.”

Jones said he chose to buy the dogs from Little Rock for several reasons, mainly its proximity to Union County.

“We reviewed several companies throughout the United States but finally decided on the nearby company,” Jones said. “First, they are close by, cutting down on travel cost for the dogs and their handlers. Second, the company has been successful in training and providing good-quality canines to numerous agencies in Arkansas, such as the Arkansas Department of Correction.”

Jones said another bonus from buying the dogs in Little Rock was that training, which must be done several times each year, is available just 100 miles away. Both dogs were shipped from Europe to the United States by the Little Rock company.

Jones said the dogs will be used for several duties.

“We are always looking for new methods to increase efforts against illegal drugs in this county,” Jones said. “The canines are to detect drugs, and we are looking forward to increasing our seizure of illegal drugs and taking them off the streets of Union County.”

Jones said his office is planning a “much heavier presence in the public schools around the county with dogs and handlers on patrol in those schools and out on the roadways and in various communities.”

During a workout on Monday, Hammer and Yeager demonstrated that their bite can be as harsh as their bark. On command, Hammer grabbed the arm of a “suspect” ? actually, a deputy wearing a protective arm sleeve ? and gnawed at it repeatedly, only letting go when Ingram gave the German command to halt.

Looking on, Jones commented on both dogs’ abilities to go from aggressive to docile in a matter of seconds, a testament to their highly skilled training.

“I am impressed with the friendliness of the dogs and how they only reacted when given a command by the handler,” Jones said. “Obedience training was some of the first training the dogs went through, and they are very well behaved. The only time I have seen the dogs hard to control was when someone runs. But in our business that might not always be a bad thing.”

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