NORFOLK, Neb. — In a bid to combat the rising tide of illegal drugs, the Madison County Sheriff's Office is on a mission to revive its K-9 unit program. With the green light from the county board of commissioners, the initiative is set to roll out in July, backed by hopes of community donations and business support.

In a critical effort to keep streets safe, the sheriff's office aims to buy a Belgian Malinois, known to cost between $10,000 and $15,000. The K-9 would come with additional and annual costs for training, food, and vet appointments ranging from $3,000 to $5,000.

“We are at the initial phase to get the ball rolling. We're hoping maybe to get close to $40,000 built in that fund,” Madison County Sheriff Todd Volk said. “That would get us the training and get some equipment for everything. There is also school safety. We don't want any drugs in our schools, and I'm sure every parent and administrator of a school can admit that. We want to build programs and teach our youth with that K-9 too.”

“The K-9 unit’s sense of smell is many times better than ours. I mean, we can get a little bit, but that dog can pick up a little scent and tell you exactly where something's at.”

Depending on the county’s upcoming budget and donations brought in, the Madison County Sheriff's Office would like to get the K-9 program up and running as soon as possible. The next state training will be this spring but is too early for Madison County to participate in.

“If all goes well with money,” Volk said, “we hope to have a K-9 in the spring of 2026.”