Jim Wells County approves $19,500 K-9 purchase and $1 adoption for retiring K-9

Sheriff Joseph Godbaker told the court that the Jim Wells County Sheriff's Office needs a new dual-purpose canine trained for narcotics detection, tracking and apprehension and requested purchase from the department’s forfeiture fund. "The price on this dog is $19,500," Godbaker said, describing the dog’s training and the safety benefits for officers and the public.

Commissioners discussed training and interagency arrangements; Godbaker said the county participates in training with U.S. Border Patrol and neighboring counties at no cost to the county and emphasized that continuous training and certification are part of the plan. The court approved the purchase, and the sheriff said the expense will come from the sheriff's forfeiture fund.

On a separate but related item, the court considered the retirement and disposition of an existing K-9, Kobe. Godbaker said Kobe no longer had law-enforcement value and cited hip issues and distraction to highway traffic as reasons. Because the original purchase used federal funds, commissioners confirmed the required federal disposal procedures had been followed and that the dog should carry a nominal sale value. The court approved removing Kobe from county inventory and authorized adoption with a sale value of $1.

Both actions passed by voice vote during the meeting; commissioners did not identify additional conditions attached to the procurement or the adoption during the floor discussion.