Possibly the longest serving officer in Logan City Police Department history – at least in dog years – is retiring August 4 and the department is seeking community help in finding and funding his replacement. K-9 Officer Tino, the first to hold that rank in Logan, ends seven years in the department soon. “Tino has been a very valuable part of the department,” said Lieutenant Troy Thurston. “He’s located or apprehended hundreds of suspects. When he was added to the department it allowed us to take advantage of his acute nose and his ability to detect narcotics. It gives us another equivalent partner on the road to help us apprehend individuals who might be a little violent, so that we don’t have to use deadly force.” For Tino’s seven years on the force his partner has been Officer Dustin Elleman. “The officer, when he first selects a dog, actually bonds with the dog,” said Thurston. “The dog lives with the officer at his home. They work out together, they train together, they learn each other’s personalities.” In retirement, Tino will be turned over to Officer Elleman. The Police Department is seeking to raise $15,000 in the community to purchase a new dog and to pay for officer training, K-9 training equipment and vehicles. “Our goal is to raise half this amount by July 15 with the full amount by August 4,” said Thurston. “The training is intense, it’s an eight-week course,” said Thurston. “It involves sending the officer and the dog back to Indiana. We’re attempting to defer some of that cost, it’s quite expensive, and hopefully make Officer Elleman a training officer here so we don’t have to send future officers back there.” “We’re asking that all who can consider this request to send a donation to the Logan City Police Department, 62 West 300 North, Logan, 84321,” said Thurston.