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Sheriff and commissioner clash over donated K‑9; board takes no action
Summary
Sheriff Ray Thomas urged the board to accept a donated K‑9 from Siloam Springs Police Department, saying the dog can be rehabilitated; Commissioner Jake Callihan expressed safety concerns after the dog bit its handler twice. The board discussed the donation but did not accept it.
Sheriff Ray Thomas told the Delaware County Board of Commissioners on Dec. 23 that a K‑9 offered as a donation by the Siloam Springs Police Department could be rehabilitated and would cost the county nothing. "Two companies in Tulsa have evaluated the dog and say he can be rehabilitated," Thomas said, adding he believes prior problems were due to an inadequately trained handler.
Thomas argued the dog is a necessary tool for addressing the county's drug problems and tracking suspects, and said he has four years of experience as a canine handler. "Either you trust me to do my job or you don't," Thomas said.
Commissioner Jake Callihan responded that he was hesitant to take a dog that had bitten its handler twice, saying, "It's the dog I don't trust." When Thomas suggested that rejecting the donated dog would mean requesting $12,000 for a replacement, Callihan asked, "Is that a threat?" Thomas replied that he felt he was not trusted to do his job.
The motion on the agenda was to "discuss with possible action" accepting the donation; the board approved holding that discussion but ultimately took no action to accept the dog during the meeting. The board did not receive written evaluations from the Tulsa companies at the time of discussion; Sheriff Thomas said none were provided to the commissioners.
