Scout creates K-9 memorial as project
Andrew Daymut, has always felt destined to follow his brother’s and father’s step for a career in law enforcement. So for Andrew, a Boy Scout with troop 510 in New Concord, on a project focused on law enforcement seemed to be the only choice when it came time to work on his Eagle Scout project.
Andrew set his sights on the Guernsey County Sherriff’s Office’s K-9 unit for his project and at the heart of it was the office’s first K-9, Rose.
The sheriff ’s office initiated its K-9 unit in 2005, according to Sgt. Major Jeremy Wilkinson.
“Today those efforts have forever been memorialized with the help of Andrew, he said.
K-9 Rose served with the sheriff ’s office for nine years prior to her retirement in 2014. She passed away in 2019.
“I go to school right now for criminal justice and law enforcement, and I have always had an admiration for K-9s and things like that,” Andrew said. “I knew I wanted to honor them somehow and about the time I started picking out an Eagle Scout project was about the time Rose passed away. I wanted to honor Rose somehow and I knew we needed to get the community involved.”
“K-9 Rose played a key role in successfully locating numerous illegal narcotics in the county,” Wilkinson said. “K-9 Rose will now play another key role in honoring and remembering all of the sacrifices made by the working dogs of the Guernsey County Sheriff’s Office.”
Andrew, in a collaborate effort with the community, has raised approximately $4,500 to date for a bronze sculpture of K-9 Rose to serve as a memorial for the sheriff office’s K-9s after they pass.
The money was raised through donations and an on-going brick fundraiser. The bricks were used to create a path to the memorial. Additional donations and funds will benefit the K-9 unit.
“The statue of K-9 Rose is a bronze Labrador retriever that is certain to guard and protect the legacy of all future K-9s to come,” Wilkinson said. The marble hexagon pedestal will be a monumental record of all the names of the Guernsey County Sherriff’s Office K-9s.”
Andrew, along with Sheriff Jeff Paden, unveiled the memorial, located in front of the Guernsey County Law Enforcement Center on Monday afternoon. Also in attendance were community members and K-9 Rose’s handlers who each had a few words to say about Rose.