The Ste Genevieve County Sheriff's Department introduced a trained drug detection dog in October 2003. The program was completely sponsored by private donations to the department by the good people of the county and was not funded by public funds. The donations added up to approximately $9,000.00 of which $4,000 was spent on the purchase of the dog. The drug sniffing dog came completely trained to included the necessary discpline needed for a dog of this nature. The remaining funds have been used in purchasing items necessary to care for the dog like shelter, food and medical needs.The dog was trained by Rick Ashabranner in Jeffersonville Indiana. This is a national recognized trainer who has certified both the dog and the deputy handler. The dog selected by the department was a 2 year old black lab named Saber. The handler is Deputy Andrew Johnson who has a true passion for dogs and has bonded with Saber. Saber has become a member of his family as well as the department family. The department and Saber are looking for a great deal of success in the future as both the handler and the dog sharpen their drug detection skills. Saber is a "user friendly" dog and is not aggresive as some police dogs are. Saber can be approached by the public and petted as she enjoys being around both children and adults. The department can make Saber and Deputy Johnson available for both public awareness demonstrations as well as drug detection for which she loves to do. Any questions about Saber or the program in general can be directed to Deputy Andrew Johnson or a memeber of the Sheriff's Administration at 883-5820.   |