Middleton council authorizes mayor to accept donated K9 for police department

The Middleton City Council voted to authorize the mayor to accept a donated police K9 from a canine grant program at no initial cost to the city, with the city covering one-time travel for a sergeant to collect the animal and ongoing training and maintenance costs.

Council members who discussed the item said the grant covers the dog and the main training; the city’s expected expenses include a roughly $400 plane ticket to retrieve the animal and an estimated $3,300 per year for ongoing training and supplies, although some supplies—such as food—were offered by a donor. The council moved and seconded the action and approved it by voice vote.

The council heard from Middleton Police Department leadership that the department is the only law-enforcement agency in Canyon County without a K9 unit. Chief Smith (identified in the discussion as the presenting official) said a Belgian Malinois has been offered to the city through a grant; the department must send the new handler and dog to a basic certification course. Idaho State Police is hosting a training in July in Meridian that the department expects to use. Sergeant Hilkey (spelled variously in the transcript) provided additional details on logistics and ongoing expenses.

City presenters said the donation differs from a previous offer that would have appeared free at the outset but carried an estimated $15,684 training cost over two years; the current grant does not carry that training fee. The department will run a selection process for the new handler: staff will publish minimum requirements, accept applications, and test candidates before assigning a handler. The dog will undergo about 160 hours of training together with its handler and must be certified by state procedures.

During questions, council members and staff cited recent local drug interdictions and described how a police K9 can support narcotics detection and evidence searches. One council member said, without attribution, “this animal could end up paying for itself,” referring to potential asset forfeiture or other proceeds tied to drug enforcement; staff noted, however, that the timing and amount of any forfeiture proceeds are governed by separate court processes and are not guaranteed.

Next steps the council identified are final selection of a handler, arranging the sergeant’s travel to pick up the dog, and completing the required certification training. The department expects to name the dog after the dog is accepted and certified.