Priceville drug dog to arrive in 3 months
Apr. 26—PRICEVILLE — Kilo, the new Priceville drug dog, will arrive in about three months, at which time he will start going to school with his handler and then take a final test, an official said.
Officer and K-9 handler Lucas Ferrell said after training with the dog, the two will seek canine certification, a test to prove the two are capable of meeting the standards of being a canine team. Kilo is currently at a kennel in Indiana waiting to make Priceville his home.
The dog has already inspired the sale of 158 T-shirts and raised $2,870 for his own care.
The 14-month old Belgian Malinois has a few more days to sell shirts, his handler said.
Ferrell dreamed up the T-shirt fundraiser for Kilo and the program. He set a goal of selling 150 shirts by April 30. Even though the target has been reached, he hopes the fundraiser remains successful until the last day.
"We can sell more," Ferrell said. "The 150 was just the goal we wanted to sell. We could sell another 50 shirts or another 100 shirts between now and then."
The black shirts feature the slogan "Support the Paws who Enforce the Laws."
Proceeds from the sale of the shirts will cover expenses related to the dog's needs, including veterinary care, food and toys, Ferrell said. Toys are apparently a necessity for this chewing machine.
"He can pop a tennis ball in about three chews, so we're going to have to buy tennis balls by the boxloads probably," his handler joked.
Despite Kilo's ferocity with tennis balls, Ferrell said he is not an "attack dog," strictly a drug and tracking dog.
The Town Council recently agreed to pay $15,500 to bring the dog on board, which covers the cost of the dog and the training of both Kilo and his K-9 handler. A vehicle that was already ordered for the Police Department will be fitted to kennel the dog during transport, officials have said.
"Getting the K-9 was a blessing," said police Chief Jerry Holmes.
Kilo will help Priceville police deal with the city's drug trafficking issues. The Morgan County Sheriff's Office also has K-9 deputies.
The chief said there are a lot of drugs moving up and down Interstate 65 through Priceville. He said drugs also circulate in the city itself, as they do in every city.
"Drugs are everywhere; that is no surprise," Holmes said. "We would like to use the dog to at least make (drug dealers) nervous and make them think twice" about traveling through Priceville to do business.
Among the many goals he had for the city when he became chief in 2022 was acquiring a K-9 officer and doing "some interdiction work" when appropriate.
"We will always maintain order here in Priceville and we will take care of the community," Holmes said. "But, when it's slow, we would like to get those drug smugglers because they are there."
Holmes said the community has been supportive of the plan to get Kilo to town.
"From our side, it was awesome to see the community response," the chief said. "Several businesses were very eager to contribute to the cost of canine accessories and care. Great to see the community involved."
Holmes said it is important for people to understand the function of Priceville's newest officer.
"This is a drug and tracking dog," the chief said. "It won't be biting anybody. We want it to be friendly with everyone in the community."
A key component of the fundraiser is to help ensure the success of the K-9 unit, Ferrell said.
"Being the handler — being the one that has been working on this program for more than a year now — I'm just trying to set us up for as much success as possible so no matter what gets thrown at us, we have the resources available to get what we need and to take care of it and not have to worry about it," he said.
The T-shirts cost $30, and are available online at tiny.cc/frhuxz.
— jean.cole@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2361
