SOMEONE IN A RURAL BACKYARD. KYLIE THOMAS REPORTING. I KNOW THAT THEY ARE TRAINED TO DO CERTAIN THINGS, SO I DIDN’T WANT TO I DIDN’T WANT TO SET HIM OFF. I DIDN’T WANT TO LIKE TRIGGER ANYTHING FOR HIM. HE’LL HE’LL SIT. SEE, THAT’S HOW SMART HE IS. HE KNOWS THE GAME ON SUNDAY JUST BEFORE 10 A.M., K9 OFFICER ONYX JUMPED HIS HANDLERS FENCE AND AN HOURS LONG SEARCH ENSUED. YEAH. WE WERE WORRIED. THE POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE MAKING THIS POST, ASKING FOLKS TO KEEP AN EYE OUT. BUT AT A DISTANCE, HE DOES NARCOTICS TRACKING AND APPREHENSION. K9 ONYX TAKES DOWN BAD GUYS, AND HE WAS MISSING. I HAD SCROLLED ON FACEBOOK AND SAW THE POST ABOUT ABOUT THE MISSING K9, AND THEN MY DOG STARTED GOING CRAZY. I THOUGHT, THAT IS NOT A DEER. THAT IS A VERY BIG DOG. AND THEN IT CLICKED. I WAS LIKE, OH, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE THE DOG. OVER TWO MILES FROM HOME, ONYX WAS FOUND WANDERING BEHIND KATIE’S PARENTS HOME, WHERE HER FAMILY HUNTS, REALIZING WHAT THE K9 OFFICER IS CAPABLE OF, SHE QUICKLY MADE A CALL. I SAID, I’LL TRY TO KEEP HIM HERE. I DON’T WANT TO APPROACH HIM. AND HE SAID, NO, HE’S PEOPLE FRIENDLY, NOT ANIMAL FRIENDLY. I SAID, HI, ONYX. LIKE, CAN YOU WAIT HERE UNTIL YOUR HANDLERS COME? MINUTES LATER, ONYX WAS RESCUED. LOAD UP. HE WAS SO FRIENDLY, HE JUST LET US PET ON HIM AND JUST SAT. THERE WAS SUCH A GOOD LITTLE BOY, LIKE WAITING. KOCO ASKED WHAT PRECAUTIONS THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS TAKING TO PREVENT ANOTHER SCARE. THEY SAID K9 ONYX WILL GET A NEW HANDLER AND WILL NOT BE LET OUT UNATTENDED.
Highly-trained K-9 officer goes missing, found in someone's backyard in Pottawatomie County
It took several hours before K-9 Onyx was found, not by a deputy but in someone's backyard.
Updated: 9:22 PM CST Nov 13, 2023
A highly-trained K-9 officer got lost over the weekend in Pottawatomie County.It took several hours before K-9 Onyx was found, not by a deputy but in someone's backyard. K-9 Onyx was trained to track and take down the bad guys with a single command, but when a woman found the officer in her backyard, she didn't want to move."I know they are trained to do certain things, so I didn’t want to set him off, didn’t want to trigger him," said Cady Sleeper, who found Onyx.On Sunday, just before 10 a.m., K-9 Officer Onyx jumped his handler's fence, and an hours-long search ensued.Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here."We were worried," said Lt. Jared Strand, who oversees the K-9 program at the Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office.The PCSO made a post, asking folks to keep an eye out but at a distance."He does narcotics, tracking and apprehension," Strand said.K-9 Onyx takes down bad guys and was missing."I had scrolled on Facebook and saw the post about the missing K-9, and my dogs started going crazy. I thought, 'That is not a deer, that’s a very big dog.' And then it clicked, 'Oh, I think that might be the dog,'" Sleeper said.>> Download the KOCO 5 AppOver two miles from home, Onyx was found wandering behind Sleeper's parents' home where her family hunts. Realizing what the K-9 officer was capable of, she quickly made a call."I said, 'I’ll try to keep him here. I don’t want to try and approach him.' He said, 'No, he’s people friendly, not animal friendly.'" I said, 'Hi, Onyx. Can you wait here until your handlers come?'" Sleeper said.Minutes later, Onyx was rescued."He was so friendly. He just let us pet on him. Such a good little boy just waiting," Sleeper said.KOCO 5 asked what precautions the sheriff's office is taking to prevent another scare. They said Onyx will get a new handler and will not be let out unattended.Onyx means a lot to Pottawatomie County. He first belonged to fallen Tecumseh Officer Justin Terney, who was shot and killed in 2017.Terney's dream was to make him a police dog, and the sheriff's office made it happen.Top HeadlinesOKC police respond to scene where 7 people overdosed overnightAP Top 25 released after school-record setting OU win, Cowboys upsetJamie Lee Curtis heavily teases ‘Freaky Friday 2’ team-up with Lindsay LohanSearch underway for 2 inmates who escaped from Hominy prison, involved in southeast Oklahoma chase8 years ago, a child was hit by a car in Yukon. Now, he credits the community with his recovery
POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY, Okla. — A highly-trained K-9 officer got lost over the weekend in Pottawatomie County.
It took several hours before K-9 Onyx was found, not by a deputy but in someone's backyard. K-9 Onyx was trained to track and take down the bad guys with a single command, but when a woman found the officer in her backyard, she didn't want to move.
"I know they are trained to do certain things, so I didn’t want to set him off, didn’t want to trigger him," said Cady Sleeper, who found Onyx.
On Sunday, just before 10 a.m., K-9 Officer Onyx jumped his handler's fence, and an hours-long search ensued.
Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.
"We were worried," said Lt. Jared Strand, who oversees the K-9 program at the Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office.
The PCSO made a post, asking folks to keep an eye out but at a distance.
"He does narcotics, tracking and apprehension," Strand said.
K-9 Onyx takes down bad guys and was missing.
"I had scrolled on Facebook and saw the post about the missing K-9, and my dogs started going crazy. I thought, 'That is not a deer, that’s a very big dog.' And then it clicked, 'Oh, I think that might be the dog,'" Sleeper said.
>> Download the KOCO 5 App
Over two miles from home, Onyx was found wandering behind Sleeper's parents' home where her family hunts. Realizing what the K-9 officer was capable of, she quickly made a call.
"I said, 'I’ll try to keep him here. I don’t want to try and approach him.' He said, 'No, he’s people friendly, not animal friendly.'" I said, 'Hi, Onyx. Can you wait here until your handlers come?'" Sleeper said.
Minutes later, Onyx was rescued.
"He was so friendly. He just let us pet on him. Such a good little boy just waiting," Sleeper said.
KOCO 5 asked what precautions the sheriff's office is taking to prevent another scare. They said Onyx will get a new handler and will not be let out unattended.
Onyx means a lot to Pottawatomie County. He first belonged to fallen Tecumseh Officer Justin Terney, who was shot and killed in 2017.
Terney's dream was to make him a police dog, and the sheriff's office made it happen.
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