K-9 Unit

McLean County K-9 Unit:

Deputy Andy Burns was appointed by Sheriff Jon Sandage to be a canine handler in the fall of 2017.  Following Rico's retirement, Deputy Burns was partnered with K9 Kano in the fall of 2021.  Kano is a Belgian Malinois/German Shephard mix originally from Slovakia. Deputy Dakotah Metzke was appointed to be a canine handler in the spring of 2018 and continues to work K9 Shadow, a Belgian Malinois, originally from The Netherlands.  Both canine teams are assigned to the patrol division where they assist deputies and surrounding agencies in a variety of patrol related functions.  

Photo of Burns and Kano
Two police officers standing with their dogs.
Photo of Metzke and Shadow

Full-Service Unit

Both Kano and Shadow are considered full-service K-9's because they are certified in the following areas:

  • Area Searches
  • Article Searches
  • Criminal Apprehension
  • Criminal Tracks
  • Narcotics Detection
  • Obedience

The MCSO K-9 Unit works and trains closely with other local police K-9 units and is proud to serve and protect the citizens of McLean County.

Recognizing Past K-9 Units:

The McLean County Sheriff’s Office would also like to recognize our past K-9 units and thank them all for their efforts and hard work over the years.

  • Deputy Sheriff Brian Sparrow / Canine Onzo
  • Deputy Sheriff Mike McGuire / Canine Atlas
  • Deputy Sheriff Joe Zoeller / Canine Harro and Canine Ringo
  • Deputy Sheriff Carl Boyd / Canine Markus
  • Deputy Sheriff Glen Wagner / Canine Ringo and Canine Lazer
  • Deputy Sheriff Jason Tuttle / Canine Keej
  • Deputy Sheriff Jon Albee / Canine Keej
  • Deputy Sheriff William Burns / Canine Rico