DNR K-9 teams get cool new technology

Specialized Indiana Department of Natural Resources K-9 handlers from Brown and Jennings counties are among those from 13 counties whose four-legged partners will benefit from heat alarms to keep them safe in patrol vehicles.

Indiana conservation officer Zach Walker of Jennings County and his K-9 partner Libby will benefit from the new technology, as will conservation officer Brent Bohbrink of Brown County and his partner Moose. The devices monitor the temperature inside vehicles and alert officers when heat becomes dangerous.

“It’s a tool that fortunately isn’t needed all the time, but it is something that when needed could be a life-saving device,” Walker said.

Law enforcement teams from the DNR’s Canine Resource Protection Program received a recently announced $45,100 grant for the heat alarms from K9s United, a Florida-based national organization dedicated to ensuring K-9 units have essential equipment and highest levels of customized training. The vehicle temperature monitoring and notification systems were funded by a donation by the Prissy and Andy Armstrong Trust.

Since 1997, the Indiana DNR Canine Resource Protection Program has grown to 13 conservation officers and K-9 handlers. The teams help find missing people, discover evidence and detect wildlife violations across the state. The DNR Division of Law Enforcement has 10 operational districts within the state, with at least one K-9 unit assigned to each district.

Bohbrink and Moose cover DNR District 6, a nine-county region in central and south-central Indiana that includes Bartholomew and Brown counties. Walker and Libby serve District 9, an 11-county region in southeast Indiana.

In addition to the handlers from Brown and Jennings counties, handlers who received the donated heat alarms for their canine partners are located in Delaware, Fulton, Harrison, Jasper, LaGrange, Morgan, Orange, Spencer, Tippecanoe, Vigo and Whitley counties.