Trempealeau Co. search calls attention to K9 patrol

When an 11-year-old boy was found safe after walking away from a house near Eleva this week, people wanted to know more about the sheriff’s department dog that brought the search to a quick and successful conclusion.

On Friday, the Trempealeau County sheriff’s office showed off two of the four dogs the county uses for missing person searches and drug investigations.

K9 officers Leo and Luke were brought together at the courthouse in Whitehall, with their two human handlers. 

The two dogs often barked at each other in front of reporters, because they do not normally come in contact with each other.

Leo followed the scent from a pair of pajamas to locate the boy on a rainy night, a short distance from the house where the child has been staying.

Leo’s handler, Sgt. Travis McDonah, says the dog only needed 15 minutes to find that boy. 

While Leo and Luke are stationed at the courthouse, the county also uses two other dogs kept at Independence and Osseo.