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Ludington Police Office Bryan Sanders and K-9 Bella
By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
LUDINGTON — After a year of planning, Ludington Police Department’s K-9 unit had its first shift Sunday evening into Monday morning. Officer Bryan Sanders and Bella officially started duty at 6 p.m. Sunday.
The concept of a K-9 unit for Ludington Police Department began in October 2023. Ludington Police Chief Chris Jones said the creation of the K-9 was based on the nature of calls that occur in the city and would complement the Mason County Sheriff’s Office’s K-9 unit.
“I am always on the opposite shift of the sheriff’s K-9 unit,” Sanders said. “This allows us to provide better coverage throughout the county.”
The K-9 unit’s $80,000 to $100,000 investment came mostly through fund raising.
Bella is a 2-year-old German shepherd, Belgium malinois mix. Sanders said he met Bella seven weeks ago when he brought her home to get acclimated with his family. Then, the pair began the following week.
“This is a result of many people in our community coming together to support this effort,” Chief Jones said. “We are very grateful to everyone who played a part in seeing the creation of the K-9 unit. We believe that this will be a major benefit to our town.”
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