The Hillsdale County Board of Commissioners has voted to approve a new policy for the retirement of Sheriff’s Department K9 officers.
The resolution, introduced Tuesday by Commissioner Brad Brenzing, will formalize the transfer of ownership of retired K9s to their handlers.
The handler will be required to sign an agreement releasing the county of liability for the animal.
If a handler declines ownership, the K9 will be donated to an approved service organization.
Benzing said the resolution came about during recent contract negotiations with the members of the Sheriff’s Department.
While it’s standard procedure for the K9 handlers to take ownership of retired dogs, there had been no official policy on the books.
The commissioners voted unanimously to approve the update.
The Hillsdale County Sheriff’s Department currently has three K9 officers.
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