K-9 joins Community Corrections Dept.

TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) - A new furry member is busy working at the Tippecanoe County Community Corrections Department.

Buddy is one of only two K-9 Community Correction dogs in the state. He's considered to be a friendly K-9, but his Handler Tom Merkley said Buddy knows when it's time to get to work.

"He's very friendly with children and people.  He likes to just jump up on people's laps like this and loves to be petted," said Merkley.

Buddy is an 18-month-old Labrador who was rescued from a kennel.  Unlike your ordinary house dog, Buddy is trained in narcotics and explosives detection.

"Six types of narcotics, firearms, ammunition, and black powder, which is also an explosive," said Merkley.

Merkley said Buddy helps him monitor people on work release and house arrest.

"His first night out we took him to a house and the people were flushing marijuana down the sink.  So he took me to the source of where the marijuana was at," said Merkley.

He also has Buddy search lockers, mopeds and cars.  Merkley said it would take about 40 human noses to sniff out drugs and explosives like one dog can.

"It takes a lot of manpower to do a search on a person's residence due to all the small areas that you have to look into.  It may take four to five people just to do a house that might last an hour and a half to two hours just depending on how big it is.  With a dog and a K-9 unit that's trained in narcotics it may only take 15 minutes to walk through a house," said Merkley.

For Buddy this chance to work for the Tippecanoe County Community Corrections Department was also a second chance to live.

"The Allen County Sheriff's Department picked him up from a kennel and the kennel was about two days away from putting him down due to the hyperactivity of the dog," said Merkley.

Now Buddy can put that energy to good use.

His training was funded by the prosecutor's pre-trial diversion fund, which includes money seized by police during drug operations. The Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Department also donated a vehicle for the K-9 program.