Xena's on the job

The Jack County Sheriff’s Office K9 team of Sgt. David VanderKaay and 2 1/2-year-old Labrador retriever, Xena, have been serving the county for eight months.

During that time, the duo has been deployed 19 times resulting in 12 arrests and three citations. 

“Four times we were called out and sent back because once the suspect knew the canine was called out, they gave consent so that was a win for us,” VanderKaay said.

Lately, Xena has been making the rounds of Jack County getting to know the community through demonstrations at two crime watch programs and school programs in Perrin and Bryson.

In a presentation for approximately 100 Bryson middle and high schoolers Feb. 15, three teddy bears were placed on the auditorium stage, one of which contained an illegal substance.

Xena is instructed to go into detecting mode.

“She can walk by all of them and not pay attention, but when she’s told to work, she will,” VanderKaay explained.

To read the complete article see the Feb. 27 edition of the Herald-Gazette.