Crime-fighting pup gets first bust

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Department’s youngest member netted his first drug bust at age eight months.

Koba, the department’s new canine officer, successfully detected drugs in a vehicle stopped near the Solon Springs airport Saturday, according to his partner Deputy Brian Witt. That arrest provided information that led deputies to a rave party at the bird sanctuary in Gordon and netted two more arrests.

Solon Springs Police Officer Jerry Olson and Deputy Cliff Coulthard of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department originally stopped the vehicle as part of the “Click It or Ticket” seat belt enforcement campaign. They called Witt and his partner in to search the vehicle, and he indicated there were drugs.

“That dog is unbelievable,” Olson said.

Koba, a Malinois, was certified May 23 for drug work and criminal apprehension. Two days later, he turned eight-months-old. Although he’s been certified for most patrol work, Witt said the pup will just focus on drug work until he is more mature.

“He’s a good partner,” the deputy said. “I’m easing him into it.”

In his first week on the job, Koba was deployed four times to search for drugs. The first three times, he did not give any indication there were any. The fourth time was Saturday. Ecstacy, synthetic marijuana and prescription medications were found during the traffic stop, Witt said, along with information that led them to the Gordon party.

Koba weighs 62 pounds, but Witt expects him to be more than 70 pounds when he hits his adult weight. He said that people are often shocked to see the pup perform.

“A lot have told me ‘He’s too young,’” Witt said. “Once they see him work, they are amazed. I let his work do the talking for him.”

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