Middleton council authorizes mayor to accept donated K9; city to cover travel and training costs

The Middleton City Council on a routine motion authorized the mayor to accept a donated police dog from a canine grant program at no initial cost to the city, with the council noting a one‑time travel expense to collect the animal and ongoing training and maintenance costs.

Chief Smith presented the item, saying the dog would be donated through a grant and that the donation does not carry the two‑year, $15,684 training cost that accompanied a prior offer. Chief Smith said the donated animal is a Belgian Malinois and that the city would be responsible for one‑time travel for a sergeant to pick up the dog and for ongoing training and maintenance costs.

Why it matters: Middleton officials said the department is the only agency in Canyon County without a K9 unit and that neighboring agencies use dogs for narcotics detection and asset forfeiture cases. Supporters at the meeting said seized cash from other agencies had been used to purchase equipment and vehicles.

Council discussion and details: Council members asked whether the city already had a handler (it does not), how long certification would take and where training would happen. Chief Smith said the dog and its new handler must train together; Idaho State Police is hosting a training in July in Meridian, and the donor organization expects local certification. Chief Smith also said the dog itself and the basic training are covered by the grant, and that the only immediate out‑of‑pocket cost would likely be travel (he cited a roughly $400 plane ticket estimate). The chief said ongoing annual costs are expected to be about $3,300 and that Tracker Supplies had offered to donate food.

The council noted the department applied for the grant in December and that a contact in Harris County told city staff the department had been moved up in line to receive one of three dogs after other agencies declined. The council discussed selection of a handler, which the chief said would follow an internal application and testing process.

Formal action: A councilmember moved to authorize the mayor to approve acceptance of the donated K9 from the grant program at no initial cost to the city; the motion was seconded and the mayor declared the motion carried after an aye vote.

What this does not resolve: The council did not name the individual who will be the handler; Chief Smith said a selection process will be undertaken. The council did not record an itemized, binding budget amendment for the ongoing $3,300 estimate during the motion.

Next steps: Staff will arrange travel to collect the dog, enroll the handler and dog in the required certification training, and proceed with the handler selection process.