Sergeant Justin Seiden of the Pratt County Sheriff’s Office presented a proposal for a dual‑purpose K‑9 to assist with narcotics detection and search‑and‑rescue and told commissioners the office is seeking a non‑budgetary donations account to cover startup costs.

Seiden said the unit would be trained to detect fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and marijuana, and would also be capable of tracking missing persons. “We are hoping to get a canine program implemented, and we wanna do it the right way,” Seiden said. He described a training timetable that would begin between January and March and said the Kansas Highway Patrol canine academy offers a roughly 12‑week program with ongoing weekly training for handlers and trainers.

The proposal included cost estimates presented by the sheriff’s office. Seiden said the purchase of a dog from the recommended kennel was quoted at about $13,000 and that initial start‑up expenses — vehicle fitting, initial training, purchase and kenneling — were the largest cost drivers. He estimated ongoing annual costs after startup at roughly $5,000 to $10,000, excluding major medical emergencies, and said some local veterinarians had offered to provide food at cost and cover routine yearly veterinary expenses.

Commissioners asked timing and vendor questions; Seiden identified Hill Country Dog Center of Pike Creek, Texas, as the kennel he had contacted and said that kennel had dogs available to start in January. Commissioners also raised budgeting questions and asked for time to review county budgets before committing.

Commissioners moved into an attorney‑client executive session specifically to discuss soliciting donations and the legal aspects of accepting donations for the sheriff’s office; that session lasted 10 minutes. The commission reconvened in open session and later announced they came out of executive session with no action taken.

Separately, the commission approved a motion to hire Johnny Pablo Cardoza as a part‑time jailer at $15 per hour. The motion passed on a recorded voice vote of the commission, 3‑0.

The sheriff’s office presentation and the subsequent discussion did not include a formal, immediate allocation of county budget dollars to start a K‑9 program. Commissioners asked for additional budget review and timing clarification before any funding decision was made.