Much like the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office, the Howard County Sheriff’s Office is looking to resume operation of its own K9 unit after some 25 years.
Howard County Sheriff’s Deputy Ben Hillyer will be the dog’s handler.
Startup of a K9 unit is roughly $30,000 to $35,000. Hillyer says about 95% of the funding will come from donors.
In the absence of its own unit the past quarter century, the department has borrowed K9s from neighboring counties for drug investigations. Hillyer says while that’s helpful, it’s not always convenient.
HAccording to the Sheriff’s office, the rise in drug trafficking along Highway 63 over the past decade has brought about the need to have their own K9 unit once again.
Contact the Howard County Sheriff’s Office for information on donating to the K9 fund, which recently surpassed $11,000.
The Floyd County Sheriff’s Office was without its own K9 unit for about 25 years until they added K9, Sirius, handled by Deputy Luke Chatfield, in October 2022.
