NOBLESVILLE — The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office is remembering the life of a very special four-legged member of their team.
Patrol K-9 Snoop passed away in October, after his months-long fight with various medical issues.
Snoop was a happy-go-lucky German Shepherd, whose tail was always wagging.
At only two years old, he managed to secure himself as a vital part of the K-9 unit.
He was trained in narcotic detection, tracking, area searching and apprehension.
“At this point all we can do is memorialize what he did and create a legacy for him for what he did in the community," Hamilton County Sheriff’s Deputy Bryan Melton said.
A great loss for handler Deputy Patrick Traphagan.
“He spent more time with Snoop than he does his family. They’re on patrol together and then when they’re not on patrol, they’re at home with he and his family," Dep. Melton said.
Their bond began over a year ago in the K-9 and basic handler’s course.
The five-weeklong process costs around $16,000. The duo graduated in January.
In his short time with the department, Snoop assisted with 22 civil apprehensions and one apprehension by bite.
“It’s important to have those dogs on the street. They help with criminal apprehensions, whether it be traffic stop or the dog around the car finding a load of narcotics or just people that flee," Dep. Melton said.
K-9 training continues monthly with two 12-hour days, plus any on-shift training conducted while working.
After Snoop’s passing, the Sheriff’s office is left with two patrol dogs and one bloodhound.
Melton says Snoop’s paw prints will always be left on their hearts.
“His legacy will be that he was a loving K-9, that loved the community and the community loved back," he said.
WRTV did ask the Sheriff’s Office what goes into breeding a K-9 — they tell us they’re not involved in that process.
A memorial in Snoop’s honor is currently in the works, although there’s no date set at this time.
