The Kendall County Sheriff’s Department soon will be growing its K-9 unit thanks to a private grant.

Come October, there will be a new member of the Kendall County Sheriff’s Department, only this deputy will be walking on all fours.

Thanks to a private grant of $70,000, the department will be receiving a third K-9 to add to its team.

The funds will go to purchase the dog, a K-9 equipped SUV, dog and handler training, and other costs associated with the newest team member.

In October, the dog and it’s new handler will go through an eight-week training course where they will learn as much about each others as they will their duties to keep the community safe.

“The mere presence of a dog has a very (deescalating) effect,” Kendall County Sheriff Dwight Baird said. “Its mere presence and barking and vicious appearance can change a situation.”

The dogs are most beneficial in drug searches, missing person cases, finding lost articles like weapons, and hunting down the criminals.

“They are very beneficial in our schools if we are to do drug searches. They are also beneficial in our jail in case situations arise back there that require a dog sniff or control of inmates,” Baird said.

The department currently has two K-9s, handled by Deputy Tim DeCamp and Deputy Jason Flanders.

Baird said Deputy Flanders learned about the private grant and applied in hopes of adding a third dog to the force as one of the animals gets ready to retire.

“In the next year or two we were going to have to look at replacing one animal,” Baird said. Now, that cost will fall off of tax payers’ backs.

And, while the grantor–an Illinois organization — wishes to remain publicly anonymous, there’s something Baird would like to make clear.

“Their generosity and support to law enforcement at time like this really can’t be quantified to words,” he said. “This foundation been extremely supportive of public safety over the years, and to see their support not wavering at times like this makes somebody feel good about themselves and department. It’s really nice to have that support, let alone save tax money.”

— Kendall Co. adds another dog to K-9 team —