Sheriff's office introduces K9 'Ryder'; department says donor and forfeiture funds paid most costs

The Washington County Public Safety Committee was introduced to its newest K9, Ryder, in a brief presentation at its morning meeting. A sheriff's office representative described Ryder as a 2‑year‑old German Shepherd trained for narcotics detection, article tracking and apprehension and said the dog entered service on May 6.

The presenter said the county treats K9s as law enforcement tools requiring specialized equipment and training. Total investment in Ryder — purchase, training and a ballistic vest — was described as about $18,000. "The total cost ... is about $18,000 of an investment that the sheriff's office took to add the K9 to our staff," the presenter said.

Committee members asked several operational questions about ongoing costs and care. Officials told the committee that handlers generally take the dogs home, that boarding is rare and used only when a handler is unavailable, and that handlers or other staff may adopt a dog after its service life ends. The presenters said radio/shift scheduling is used to rotate K9 teams and to maintain coverage.

Washington County officials emphasized funding sources for Ryder: $7,398 came from private donations and the remainder from drug forfeiture proceeds, "so there was no tax levy that was used to add this dog to our fleet," the presenter said.

The presentation concluded without formal action; committee members thanked staff and moved on to other agenda items.