The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office plans to put some teeth and bark back in its patrol force.

A search will soon begin for a new dog to join the patrol ranks, Sheriff Rick Trapp said Thursday.

“I’d like to get a cross-trained drug dog that can also be a search dog,” Trapp said.

Earlier this year the Sheriff’s Office retired its longtime drug dog, Baloo, in preparation for expected budget cuts.

But Wednesday, Douglas County commissioners opted not to cut the sheriff’s budget, clearing the way for the return of a K-9 unit.

Getting a dog and having it and its handler trained will take several weeks, said Lt. Don Crowe, patrol supervisor. Crowe said the dog probably would be used for patrol work as well as drug searches.

A patrol dog’s duties would include crowd control and building searches.

“If we think we have someone hiding in a building, we can send the dog in to find them,” Crowe said. “Then it will hold them up or put the clamp on them.”

Purchasing a dog, training and equipment could cost up to $12,000, Crowe estimated. Some training equipment used by Baloo is still available, he said. The breed of dog also is still to be determined.

If necessary, some local businesses and individuals have offered to help the Sheriff’s Office pay for a dog, Crowe said.

The department’s ultimate goal would be to add a dog that could search for bombs, Trapp said.

“There are other agencies we can call on (for bomb searches) if we need one,” Trapp said.

There are no plans to bring Baloo out of retirement.

“Once you’re retired, you’re retired,” Crowe said.