Wood County Sheriff's Department
K-9 Unit
Thanks to the citizens of Wood County the Sheriff's Department has two K-9 police dog. Deputies Ray Starks and Joseph Zurfluh are the certified K-9 police dog handlers who oversee them and both have attended and graduated from highly specialized police dog training at Southern Police Canine, Inc. in North Carolina, one of the largest private law enforcement dog training facilities in the world. During the deputies training there, the two dogs, "Friday" and "Kilo" were specifically matched to their prospective handlers. The training focuses on harnessing the dog's greatest attributes for police work: the ability to track and detect suspects and intimidate them psychologically.
There is a K-9 unit available on most shifts. The two K9 are trained in narcotic detection, patrol apprehension, and tracking and are what is termed as "full service" dogs. The dogs consist of 2 Belgian Malinois species named Kilo and Friday. Demand for K-9 presentations to various groups and schools remains high. People of all ages enjoy the opportunity to see the K9's and hear of their exploits. The two police dogs seem to enjoy all the attention lavished upon them at these presentations. Their successful drug work are the highlights of their deployments as the K-9 team works hard for the Central Wisconsin Drug Task Force. Cocaine seems to be in high demand in the area and it shows up in the frequency that we are called to look specifically for it. The K9's are highly regarded for their tracking ability and are called upon to look for lost people, drunk drivers fleeing the scene, and burglars and the K9s' ability to locate small items thrown away during crimes are always put to the test, successfully.
Deputy Joey Zurfluh and Kilo Kilo
Sheriff Tom Reichert and Deputy Joey Zurfluh
Deputy Ray Starks and Friday K-9 Unit Vehicle (seized in drug bust)
In Memory of Rico
(1991-2000)
On January 13, 2000, Rico passed away from complications of cancer. Rico had continued working up till his last days of life. During a MRI, the cancer was discovered and found to be inoperable. Rico will always be missed by his handler, the Wood County Sheriff Department, and the community of Wood County.
Rico
For any questions or more information contact Deputy Starks at: rstarks@co.wood.wi.us
or
Deputy Zurfluh at: jzurfluh@co.wood.wi.us
715-421-8711