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The Office of the Sheriff currently utilizes three dogs for various uses throughout the department. Two are bomb dogs, primarily used for courtroom security. Our bloodhound is used for search and rescue.

Pictured here are Sgt Ray Bunner with Dallas and Silver Starr. Sgt Bunner is the handler for both dogs.

Silver Starr was born on August 24, 1995 in the Province of Quebec. She is a 95 pound purebred bloodhound with a CKC registration. Silver Starr was purchased by the Silver Hill Lion's Club after the death of her predecessor "Felonie", another bloodhound that was donated to the Office of the Sheriff in 1988.

Excess skin on a bloodhound's face protects the eyes from briars and brambles while tracking through the woods, by folding down over the eyes.

The jowly loose skin around the nose hangs down around her nose to keep it moist for work.

Long ears constantly kick up particles and scent laying on the ground.

If attacked by another animal, the loose skin around her neck allows her to defend herself easily. The attacker will have a mouthful of skin while the bloodhound will be able to turn and around and fight back.

A bloodhound's body carries a mass of muscle and skin designed to cover miles over grueling territory at a steady pace.

A bloodhound's nose is it's most noted characteristic. Armed with 170,000 to 185,000 olfactory sensors, they have been known to trail people that have been missing for over 200 hours. Humans have only several hundred of the same sensors.