Oby’s successor is now on duty.
The Greene County Sheriff’s Office has announced that a new K-9 deputy has joined the agency as of March 28.
According to Lt. Patrick Paquette of the GCSO, the two-year-old Belgian Malinois named Griff had been in training for six weeks with Deputy Leo Sierra who will be his handler going forward.
Griff is fully certified as a K-9 patrol deputy who has been trained in narcotics detection, tracking, article location, and apprehension, Paquette said.
Griff will join K-9 Deputy Takoda, who has been with the GCSO for more than three years and currently works with Sgt. Matthew Cowdrey.
According to akc.org, dogs of the Malinois breed are “smart, confident, and versatile world-class workers who forge unbreakable bonds with their human partners.”
The GCSO was able to acquire Griff through a generous donation from the Safe and Secure Foundation established by resident Charles Middleton, an act which earned the gratitude of Sheriff Donnie Harrison, Police Chief Rodricus Monford, and their respective staff.
The name Griff is a tribute to Middleton’s father, Charles Griffin Middleton, who was killed in the line of duty in North Carolina when Charles was 5 years old. Charles’ mother, Selma Middleton, finished out her husband’s term as sheriff.
The Safe and Secure Foundation was able to raise enough funds last year to allow the Greene County Sheriff’s Office and the Greensboro Police Department to purchase new canines, which cost $14,500 each from Custom Canine Unlimited. The Greensboro Police Department will call its new K-9 “Chase”, according to Middleton.
The GCSO had two K-9 officers until 13-year veteran Oby passed away on Nov. 6, 2023, so Griff has big shoes to fill.
A nearly legendary member of Greene County law enforcement, Oby had been with the GCSO since Oct. 12, 2012, and was assigned to Paquette, who is now the K-9 Unit commander.
Throughout Oby’s career serving the GCSO and the citizens of Greene County, his alerts led to numerous prosecutions and arrests, including the seizure of many caches of illegal drugs and more than $1 million in cash and assets, according to the GCSO.
Oby was so popular that he was named the Lake Country Citizen of the Year by the Lake Oconee News in 2019.
The Greene County Sheriff’s Office is confident that Takoda and Griff will serve the residents of the county well for years to come.