Sheriff’s Dept. K-9 program on hold

Leelanau County will no longer have a K-9 available to respond to incidents throughout the county.

The county Board of Commissioners approved last week a proposal from the Sheriff’s Office to sell Klouse for $1 to his deputy handler.

Klouse, a 6 1/2-year-old German Shepherd, joined the department in 2021. “The current handler submitted his resignation effective June 27,” Undersheriff Jim Kiessel explained to commissioner at its June 17 meeting. “The resignation leaves the Sheriff Office without a properly trained K-9 handler on staff and without current personnel that are able to take on that responsibility.”