The Summit County Sheriff’s Office has a new K9 that is trained to locate missing persons and illicit narcotics, according to a news release.

Minka, a 2-year-old Malinois shepherd, joins the Sheriff’s Office after the unexpected loss of the team’s previous K9, Babe, who passed away from colonic torsion in July 2024, the release states.

The Sheriff’s Office said Babe’s death jeopardized the future of the K9 program and left the agency “reeling.”

Minka was donated by longtime Summit County philanthropists Jerry and Marge Gavenda, who recently lost their own 14-year-old standard poodle, according to the release. The Gavendas, who were not in a place to adopt another dog of their own but felt a connection when they heard about the loss of Babe, donated $19,000 to fund Minka’s purchase and training, the release states.

“The community’s outpouring of sympathy and support following K9 Babe’s death was remarkable,” Summit County Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons said in a statement. “Soon after Babe’s passing was announced, the Gavendas reached out without hesitation, saying they would help any way we needed.”

Minka will be paired with K9 handler Deputy Sarah Frost, who also worked with Babe, the release states. 

FitzSimons said in the release that while the Gavendas’ offer was immediate, the Sheriff’s Office “paused to reevaluate, not wanting to make decisions based on emotion,” before determining in January that the time was right to pursue a new K9.

“We wanted to move forward with care and purpose, and only when the time was right for everyone involved,” FitzSimons said. “There is so much to consider when bringing on a K9, only one of which is the budget, and right now, there is no budget to purchase and train a new K9. The Gavendas understood, asking us to tell them when the time was right.”

Frost traveled to Pacesetter K9 in Liberty Hill, Texas, for 10 weeks of intensive training, where she selected, trained and bonded with Minka on a daily basis, the release states. Originally from Poland, Minka is a hybrid of a Belgian Malinois and a German shepherd.

“Minka was the obvious choice, and I knew it the moment we met,” Frost said in the release. “She has a high drive and the skills needed for narcotics work and tracking. She is also very personable, which is sometimes rare in a working dog, but is a benefit when locating missing persons needing help.”

FitzSimons said that without the Gavendas’ donation the Sheriff’s Office would not have Minka or a K9 program.