FARMINGTON – Franklin County sheriff’s police dog, Odin, trained in tracking and drug-detection, needs to have one of his knees replaced, his handler, Deputy David Rackliffe, told commissioners Tuesday.

The estimated cost of the surgery is $1,000.

Rackliffe said he noticed his dog was limping and watched it for a bit to see if he would shake it off and when he didn’t, he took him to get checked out.

It is unknown if the injury was done in the line of duty, he said.

The veterinarian said it will take time for Odin to be 100 percent again after the operation but he will be able to be back on the job in six to eight weeks, Rackliffe said.

“He means a lot to me,” Rackliffe said of Odin and he has worked hard to train him to work for the benefit of the county.

Rackliffe said he and his dog have taken $10,000 in drugs and other items off the streets in the county.

After some discussion on where the money would come from, Commissioner Fred Hardy of New Sharon said, “I think this qualifies as an emergency.”

The sheriff’s canine account won’t have enough to cover the expense and neither does the drug forfeiture account set up recently to cover the canines and drug training and activities for police, county Treasurer Karen Robinson said.

Any money received through drug forfeitures will go into the account, but it hasn’t had a chance to build because several drug cases are still pending.

That account has $200 left in it after the purchase of a new police dog to replace Cpl. Nate Bean’s aging Ben, a tracking dog, Robinson said.

Commissioners voted to take the money needed first from the forfeiture account and then from the general fund.