Canine Ryker Joins 'Robust' Lake County Sherrif's Program

LAKE COUNTY, IL — Last month, the Lake County Sheriff's Office lost a valuable member of its law enforcement team following the death of Canine Diesel. While admitting that special dog will always be remembered fondly, the department is happy to welcome a new canine member to the squad.

Canine Ryker, a 2-year-old German Shepherd, has been assigned to Deputy Craig Somerville, a veteran canine handler. He was partnered with Canine Diesel until the time of his death from an aggressive form of cancer.

RELATED: Lake County Sheriff's Office Mourns The Passing Of Canine Diesel

“We will always remember Canine Diesel, who will hold a very special place in our hearts and the hearts of the Lake County Community," Sheriff John D. Idleburg said. "While we know Canine Diesel can never be replaced, we know Canine Ryker will have a very successful career being partnered with Deputy Somerville who is a terrific canine handler."

Canine Ryker and Somerville recently finished their basic training consisting of canine psychology, obedience, agility, tracking, scent detection, and more. Canine Ryker and Deputy Somerville are currently deployed as a two-deputy unit on afternoon shift.

Canine Ryker will join sheriff’s canines Dax, Duke, Danno, and Boomer. The sheriff’s canines are deployed hundreds of times a year to look for missing endangered people, search for individuals who fled from a crime, detected drugs being trafficked, and other various situations. They frequently assist other Lake County law-enforcement agencies. The canine teams also commonly appear at community events, at school presentations, and neighborhood gatherings.

"I continually hear from the community how much they value our canines, and we are striving to have the most robust canine program in the region," Idleburg said.