Union County Sheriff expands K-9 team after Edy's retirement

The Union County Sheriff's Office added an 8-month-old yellow Labrador retriever named River as its new drug-detection K-9 and is preparing to bring on a second dog for drug detection and fugitive apprehension. Sheriff Scott Hahn said the expansion will give Deputy Josh Heath and River a wider role in school safety, courthouse work, patrols and searches across Union County.

Heath joined the sheriff’s office in 2024 and became full time earlier in 2026. He and River were scheduled to begin specialized training in South Carolina in September for work in places where controlled substances are prohibited, including schools, day care centers and local, state and federal correctional facilities. They were also expected to appear at the courthouse, community events and patrol operations throughout the county.

Edy, a 6-year-old Belgian shepherd from the Slovak Republic, retired after four years as a narcotics detection and patrol dog. Hahn said Edy was deployed more than 200 times. Since it was established in 1998, donations have covered the program rather than a large county budget line. The sheriff’s office thanked Susquehanna Trail Animal Hospital for services provided to River and recognized Dr. Tristan Wilhelm as a partner. Brookpark Pet Supply of Lewisburg donated food and medical care for the dogs and their handlers.

The Union County Sheriff's K-9 Search and Rescue Unit was created in 1983 with one tracking dog and a Bloodhound, and it now uses German Shepherds, Dutch Shepherds and Labrador Retrievers. The unit provides 24-hour coverage to all 21 municipalities in Union County, patrol training takes about 16 weeks, and over the years the program has been credited with thousands of narcotics arrests and millions of dollars in confiscated funds. Its members also served at Ground Zero after the September 11, 2001 attacks.