Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit adds German Shepherd-Belgian Malinois mix named Kye

New ‘officer’ working with deputy who lost canine partner earlier this year

Deputy Chris Indico presents Kye to the public. Image courtesy Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office has added Kye, an 18-month-old male German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois mix, to its K-9 Unit, the department announced on Aug. 27.

Kye, who was born in Budapest, Hungary, works with Deputy Chris Indico, “whose canine partner Bryx passed away earlier this year following a nine-year battle with Leishmaniasis,” a parasitic disease, a news release notes.

K-9 Kye officially joined the Sheriff’s Office in March, the release says. “He and Deputy Indico have together completed more than 500 hours of training in areas of obedience, agility, building and area searches, tracking, criminal apprehension, and explosive detection,” the release points out.

“Kye earned his patrol certification from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE)” and is working on obtaining his explosive odor detection (EOD) certification from the National Police Canine Association (NPCA), the release says.

Indico, who joined the agency’s K-9 Unit in 2007, holds a certification in K-9 training from FDLE. He and Kye began their first active duty shift together on Aug. 6, the release notes, and they will continue training to earn additional certifications.

With the addition of K-9 Kye, the unit comprises six dogs and six handlers, the release adds.

A short video featuring K-9 Kye and Indico may be viewed on the agency’s YouTube channel by visiting http://www.youtube.com/SarasotaSheriff.