Creston Police K-9 Minko retired

Creston Police Department is now an employee short.

Minko, the Creston Police K-9, was retired from his position Dec. 29 because of age and health issues.

The decision to retire the police dog has been in the works for several months, when, in September, Creston Police Chief Paul Ver Meer expressed the issue to Creston City Council members at a board meeting.

“He developed some arthritis in his back, and before it got too bad we wanted to let him retire and be a dog,” Ver Meer said.

Minko was born in Germany and trained by North Iowa K-9 out of Fort Dodge. He was purchased for $10,000 in donations more than five years ago. After his first handler, Creston Police Sergeant Jared Auten, needed shoulder surgery, Senior Patrolman Jayrd Merritt took over the responsibility.

The first day Merritt was on duty with Minko in March 2012, he said he wondered until the dog “learned who was in charge, I figured I’d be getting bit a few times.”

Now, though, Merritt’s view of the dog, who he considers people-friendly, has changed over the years.

“It’s a lot of fun. It’s a lot of work,” Merritt said. “It’s basically having another kid, that’s the easiest way to put it.”

Minko, an 8-year-old German shepherd, was a dual-purpose dog, which meant he was a patrol and drug dog. He could sniff out nine different narcotic odors, including methamphetamine and marijuana, assist in searches of vehicles and homes, assist in criminal and civilian tracking and protect his handler.

“We’ve had very good success with him. Could we use him more? Yes. But, I think the times we have used him, he’s found seizures for us and made a substantial dent in the narcotics enforcement,” Ver Meer said.

However, most police K-9s usually work until they’re between 6 and 9 years old, by which time they may be too old or ill to continue work. Minko, Merritt said, was having difficulty getting in and out of the patrol vehicle.

“It had been going on for a year or two,” Ver Meer said. “We had him on some medication to help with his joints and things. We just made the determination to retire before it got too bad.”

According to Ver Meer, Merritt was able to purchase Minko for $1, whereby he took over all maintenance and care, as well as liability.

“It’s a valuable tool,” Ver Meer said. “Vehicle searches, search warrants on houses, he cut down on the time it took to do these things. He cut down on the time it took officers to do things. He was just another tool in the tool box.”

In order for law enforcement to be able to utilize another K-9, the department would need an upgrade to equipment and donations for the animal and training.

“I do not have the money in my budget right now to assist in the purchase of another dog or equipment,” Ver Meer said. “It depends totally on fundraising.”