Bartholomew police dog retiring after six years service

A Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department police dog is retiring after a six year career.

Chief Deputy Maj. John Martoccia with the sheriff’s department made the announcement Monday, asking the county commissioners to approve a proposal to allow police dog Jari to retire and to be taken care of for the rest of his life by his handler Deputy Sheriff Brandon Sellers. Martoccia said it is customary to let the dog retire with the handler, who is responsible financially for the dog.

Jari, a German Shepherd/Belgian Malinois mix, started with the force in 2019. According to the department, its police dogs are trained in narcotics detection, building search, article/evidence recovery, handler protection and apprehension.

The county commissioners approved the retirement and the transfer.