Six-year-old Quinta has been with the Winkler County Sheriff’s Office for four years, but now she might need to say goodbye.”
“It’s not a dog, it’s a partner, it’s an officer, we’re all real close to it,” Winkler County Sheriff George Keely.
Making the decision all the more difficult to cut the K-9 program in the Winkler County Sheriff’s Office and send Quinta to another county.
Sheriff George Keely says it’s a challenge with only 10 peace officers on staff.
“He has to train the dog, care for the dog, take it home with him, it’s a lot of work,” Keely said.
A K-9 officer is a 24/7 gig. Quinta’s current officer in charge is leaving, and the department is struggling to find a replacement. Even if they do, the cost is much too high.
“It’s a lot of money involved. I’ll have to send the officer off to a school with the dog for weeks, it’s just really expensive,” Keely said.
The beautiful Belgian Malinois is in her last two years of service, but still going strong, sniffing out drugs, helping with busts and locating missing children.
“Just the other day we had a child missing and we used clothing and the dog went right toward where the child was,” Keely said.
Sheriff Keely tells me the best option is to donate the dog to another law enforcement department in the Basin.
“I wish I had somebody to take her and I wish I had some way to keep her,” Keely said.
Sheriff Keely’s wish may have come true. I made a call to Midland County Sheriff Gary Painter, explained the situation and he said he would love to have Quinta in the jail.
“If she can go somewhere and do some good for another department, then we’ll be ok with that,” Keely said.
Quinta’s last day here at the department will be March 1.
(Information from YourBasin.com)
