K-9 Gino is about the coolest Kane County sheriff’s officer on four legs. I mean, he understands Hungarian, for gosh sakes. He can sniff out bombs using his super-K-9 senses and charm the socks off a gaggle of students. He’s even got his own trading card (which is sponsored by DeLuxe cleaners. We are not making this up.)

That said, there comes a time — even the most fabled K-9 career — when you have to hang up the collar, and after eight years with the Kane County Sheriff’s Office, that time is approaching for Gino.

“Generally, retirement is based on the age of the dogs and the veterinarian’s recommendation,” said Lt. Eric Fisher, the Kane County Sheriff’s Office K-9 supervisor. “Eight years is about the right time for dogs of this size, and Gino just turned 8 last month.”

The good news is that there will be a new Gino, of sorts, thanks to a $10,000 grant from Spirit of Blue and the Planet Dog Foundation.

Kane County has six dogs in its K-9 Unit. Each is trained for patrol and specializes in detection of specific odors. The Sheriff’s Office has two bomb-sniffing dogs, three narcotics-sniffing dogs and one bloodhound. All the dogs have a variety of assignments, ranging from tracking subjects and finding lost people to evidence recovery and building searches to school visits and special events.

Gino’s bomb-detection skills are invaluable, and they are shared with multiple departments throughout the region. Back in August, a cache guns connected with the suicide and double-homicide in Dwight were recovered after a search by the K-9 Unit. And that is just one example of many, Fisher said.

So, to find the money to replace Gino is a big deal, and some of the credit has to go to a Kane County employee who probably doesn’t end up in a lot of news stories or headlines: grant writer Kimberly Perez, who for the record is no relation to Kane County Sheriff Pat Perez.

“It’s very rewarding,” she said Monday, prior to the announcement and a brief demonstration of Gino’s talents. (See the videos embedded in this article.) “Lt. Fisher brought it to my attention, and the whole thing happened pretty rapidly, since Labor Day. You have to compete for these grants, so it was very important that we met the criteria. By the grace of God, we were awarded it.”

The twin $5,000 awards formed by the partnership of the Spirit of Blue and the Planet Dog Foundation made for an unusual and effective combination. Spirit of Blue typically looks at safety equipment and training grants for law enforcement agencies. This was a case in which the K-9 fulfills the organization’s mission to enhance officer safety.

“You look at what services the dog adds,” said Ryan T. Smith, executive director of Spirit of Blue, who along with Planet Dog Executive Director Kristen Smith (again, no relation) was on hand for Monday’s announcement. “And it’s clear that the training of these police dogs has the capability of saving lives and making a situation less lethal for the officers involved.”

For Planet Dog, which donates 2 percent of every sale of any Planet Dog Product to the foundation, it is an opportunity to fund programs that train, place and support working dogs that help people in need.

“Simply put, dogs are amazing,” its website says. “We all know dogs have a natural capacity to make us feel better, cared for and unconditionally loved. But when working for people in need, they are capable of so much more.”

Gino will retire, most likely in a few months, after Kane County K-9 officers travel to Northern Michigan to find the right dog to take his place.

Deputy Bill Gatske, a 15-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office and Gino’s handler, will miss his old friend, who he says has earned his retirement.

“He’ll be happy he can finally sit on the couch,” he said.

About K-9 Gino

K-9 Gino is a male German Shepherd who was bond on Aug. 15, 2006, in Hungary. He was assigned in November 2009 to his handler, Deputy Bill Gatske. K-9 Gino is a dual purpose patrol K-9 certified in explosive detection, tracking suspects and lost people, building searches, evidence recovery, apprehensions and handler protection. K-9 Gino’s loyalty, courage and intelligence makes him a valuable member of the Sheriff’s Office.