New sheriff’s department canine to appear at dealership
The first-ever canine member of the Washington County Sheriff’s Department will be greeting visitors at Washington Chevrolet from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
Obie, a 2-year-old black Labrador retriever, recently started work with the sheriff’s department, following more than 300 hours of training with handler Kristie Salzman to become Washington County’s first bomb detection and tracking dog.
“The certificate says that we completed the 300 required hours, but we did a lot more than 300 hours,” Salzman said in a news release.
The cost of Obie, his training and equipment was $12,500, which was covered through donations from the community and Washington Chevrolet.
“We felt it was important for Washington County to have all the best team members available,” said Dave McGrogan, general manager of the dealership. “Obie is an invaluable addition to their team.”