After four-and-a-half busy years employed with the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, K9 Pelle will trade his title of “canine deputy” for that of “pet” and return to the care of his original handler, Chad Mobley. 

During their March 3 voting session, the Board of Commissioners approved a request from the sheriff’s office to retire the 7-year-old Belgian Malinois from law enforcement duty. Mobley, a former DCSO deputy, will become Pelle’s owner. 

Pelle began working for DCSO in June 2017. At the March 3 meeting, Dawson County Sheriff Jeff Johnson explained that Pelle should be retired because of health problems taking a toll on the dog’s performance. The Belgian Malinois is also approaching the age of a senior dog. 

“He’s been instrumental in finding missing individuals and children as well as elderly people,” Johnson said. “He’s made 303 cases, and he’s been deployed out on searches over 161 times, so he’s done a lot of good for Dawson County.” 

In the resolution, DCSO included a provision that Pelle not be used in any other law enforcement roles and that he just be a pet. 

Responding to District 1 Commissioner Sharon Fausett’s quip about if Pelle could be a pet, Chad Mobley said, “Absolutely. He’ll get fat, and he’ll have a good time.”