(KIWA Staff Photo)
Hawarden, Orange City, and Sioux Center, Iowa (Sioux County Radio) — A donation from three local Bomgaars stores is helping improve life for one of the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office’s most valuable crime-fighting partners.
Bomgaars locations in Hawarden, Orange City, and Sioux Center recently donated a 5-by-10-foot outdoor dog kennel, along with toys, for K-9 Rocky, the Sheriff’s Office’s four-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer trained in the detecting illegal narcotics.
Chief Deputy Justin De Bruin says the donation will give Rocky his first dedicated outdoor kennel.
The Sheriff’s Office is installing a concrete pad and building an insulated doghouse. They plan to pour the concrete themselves, but De Bruin says the concrete work alone is expected to cost about $1,500. Material costs for the doghouse are still being determined.
Rocky is primarily deployed for narcotics detection throughout Sioux County. De Bruin says usage varies widely — some weeks bring no calls, while others may require multiple deployments in a single day.
De Bruin says maintaining a police K-9 is a year-round commitment that extends beyond responding to calls. He says handlers spend hours training and caring for their dogs to ensure they’re ready whenever needed.
De Bruin says donations from local businesses help offset ongoing costs and reflect the strong relationship between the Sheriff’s Office and the communities it serves.
The Sheriff’s Office says anyone interested in supporting the K-9 program or making a donation can contact the department directly to learn more.
