The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office recently said goodbye to a police dog who has retired and welcomed a new dog to the force.
Kane, a 12-year-old German shepherd, retired in May after partially tearing an ACL while trying to locate men who allegedly stole telecommunication wire in Imperial. Since 2014, Kane had been partnered with Deputy Marc Gibson, the school resource officer for the Fox C-6 School District’s Seckman High School in Imperial.
Kane was honored during Seckman High’s graduation ceremony on May 11, with Gibson walking the dog down the aisle before graduates received their diplomas. The dog retired days before the ceremony, Gibson said.
“It was a little overwhelming, and it made me feel good,” Gibson said. “He got a well-deserved send-off, I guess you would say.”
Ten days after Kane was honored during the Seckman High graduation ceremony, Bert, an 18-month-old Belgian Malinois-shepherd mix, went on active duty for the first time with his partner Deputy Josh Oesterreich.
The Sheriff’s Office has four active K-9 officers.
Along with Bert, the department has Zeus, a bloodhound partnered with Deputy Derek Richard; Maro, a Dutch shepherd partnered with Deputy Scott Burkard; and Murphy, a Belgian Malinois partnered with Deputy Brad O’Donnell.
Oesterreich, who has been with the Sheriff’s Office for almost three years, said police dogs are an important part of the force.
“It is a way to help keep the streets even safer,” he said.
The Sheriff’s Office plans to add another bloodhound to its roster of police dogs later this year, spokesman Grant Bissell said.
“Our multipurpose dogs are trained to track and are often successful, but when it comes to finding a missing person or a fleeing suspect, a bloodhound’s scent-tracking ability is far better,” he said. “Having a second bloodhound will maximize our office’s ability to provide that service to Jefferson County residents.”
Kane
Gibson, who has been with the Sheriff’s Office since 2012, said he and Kane started working together on road patrol in 2014. Kane was 18 months old when he joined the Sheriff’s Office.
Kane is a multipurpose dog trained in narcotics detection; apprehension; and articles, building and area searches, Gibson said, adding that Kane was named the 2014 control substance dog of the year.
“He was an amazing dog and did stuff very well, and 2014 was a very good year for him” Gibson said. “He did stuff that amazed me, like finding a person with dementia in the woods one time.”
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Marc Gibson and Kane, a 12-year-old German shepherd, walked during Seckman High School’s graduation ceremony on May 11. Gibson and Kane started working at the school in 2017 when Gibson became its school resource officer, and Kane retired this year due to an injury.
Gibson and Kane started working at Seckman High in 2017 when Sheriff Dave Marshak asked Gibson to fill in as the school resource officer.
“I was involved at Clyde Hamrick Elementary (another Fox C-6 school) doing a workout with kids in the morning,” Gibson said. “I was nervous because I thought I would have to lose my dog. Sheriff Marshak told me, ‘No, take your dog with you.’”
Gibson said Kane helped him build relationships with students at the high school, and the students and staff embraced them both. Principal Jeff Krutzsch even had a kennel, complete with fans, built in Gibson’s office.
“Kane was easily one of the most recognizable staff members over the last eight years at Seckman,” Krutzsch said. “We have viewed him as a member of our team, so much so he even had a yearly yearbook photo like every other staff member. Beyond his role in safety and security, Kane was an accessible and nonjudgmental link between the school, the students and law enforcement.”
Gibson said Kane was injured in April when they were called to help locate men suspected of stealing telecommunication wire near Windsor High School, 6208 Hwy. 61-67. He said at first he thought Kane had a thorn stuck in his paw, but after checking and not seeing anything, Kane continued to whine and was taken to a veterinarian.
Gibson said it was difficult to hear the news that his partner would need to retire because of the injury.
“The day before we had training, and I was like, ‘My dog is indestructible,’” Gibson said. “He has always done so well. I knew eventually the day would come (for Kane to retire), but I didn’t see it going like that. It kind of hit me hard.”
Gibson said the Sheriff’s Office allowed him to adopt Kane, adding that he and his son, Brock, take the dog for walks, and sometimes Brock pretends to be someone Kane needs to track down.
“We kind of make him think he is still training to try and keep his spirits up,” Gibson said.
Bert
Oesterreich said the Sheriff’s Office got Bert from the Czech Republic on March 16.
The Sheriff’s Office reported it purchased Bert through F.M. K-9 in Berrien, Mich., with a Missouri Department of Public Safety Drug Task Force Canine Grant. The $14,865 grant paid for the cost to purchase Bert, training for the dog and Oesterreich at F.M. K-9 and some basic equipment, such as collars, leashes and a harness, Bissell said.
Oesterreich said the training course was from April 17 through May 16. He said Bert has been trained as a multipurpose dog, like Kane.
“The training was fun,” Oesterreich said. “It was intense because there is a lot they throw at you in six weeks.”
Oesterreich said Bert has already made an impact since the two started going on patrol together on May 21.
“He has found narcotics on the road already,” he said. “He is able to detect small amounts of narcotics that normally we wouldn’t have noticed or found. It makes it easier to locate narcotics and get those off the street. He also has helped our SWAT team.”
Oesterreich said he has wanted to work with a K-9 partner since starting his law enforcement career with the University of Missouri Police in Columbia. He worked for that department for about eight years before joining the Sheriff’s Office.
“I love dogs,” he said. “I have watched a couple work prior to me getting Bert, and I always thought it looked like fun. When we were notified there was an opening, I put in for Bert.”
Oesterreich said Bert has helped him to better connect with people in the community.
“They want to ask questions about Bert,” he said. “In a way, it helps the public want to interact with a cop, instead of only dealing with us if something bad is going on. I feel like it bridges that gap a little bit.”