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Sheriff Blaise Smith is excited to announce a new K-9 to the addition of the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office.
K9 Ellie Belle, a 2 1/2-year-old hound has a special function as a part of our K9 Division. She is a tracking K9. Although patrol K9s are sometimes used to track and apprehend criminals, K9 Ellie Belle has the ability to pick up human scent and track humans for longer distances.
Whether it is a child who has gotten lost, a person who is disoriented and wandered into the woods, an escaped inmate, or a person attempting to run from law enforcement, K9 Ellie Belle is trained and gifted to track humans.
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One interesting observation about K9 Ellie Belle is that she has “taken a shine” to Sheriff Blaise Smith. She recently visited with the Sheriff on a few occasions and seems to really love being with him.
K9 Ellie Belle has settled into a regular training schedule which is a bit different and tailored to her unique capabilities. Captain Chris Veillion says that she “performs extremely well” in her training and is showing that is is more than ready for service.
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We are excited to have K9 Ellie Belle as a part of our K9 Division as she expands our capabilities with our K9s!