This 2006 image provided by John Hoffart shows then-Sheriff Dan McClelland and his little police dog Midge in Geauga County, Ohio, sheriff’s department. They both died on Wednesday, April 14, 2021. McClelland after a long battle with cancer and Midge, perhaps, with a broken heart. The family said they will be buried together. McClelland retired in 2016, after 13 years as a sheriff, and 44 in total in the department. The last ten with Midge, a Chihuahua mouse terrier mix that smells like Guinness World Records-certified drugs as the world’s smallest police dog. (John Hoffart via AP)
This 2006 image provided by John Hoffart shows then-Sheriff Dan McClelland and his little police dog Midge in Geauga County, Ohio, sheriff’s department. They both died on Wednesday, April 14, 2021. McClelland after a long battle with cancer and Midge, perhaps, with a broken heart. The family said they will be buried together. McClelland retired in 2016, after 13 years as a sheriff, and 44 in total in the department. The last ten with Midge, a Chihuahua mouse terrier mix that smells like Guinness World Records-certified drugs as the world’s smallest police dog. (John Hoffart via AP)
CLEVELAND (AP) – The Ohio County Sheriff and his little police dog were inseparable and their lives were unbreakably intertwined.
So it seems appropriate that Geauga County retired sheriff Dan McClelland, 67, and his crime-fighting partner, Midge, 16, die Wednesday: McClelland, in a hospital after a long battle with cancer and Midge, a few hours later at home. , perhaps of a broken heart.
McClelland retired in late 2016 after 13 years as a sheriff in this semi-rural county east of Cleveland. He spent a total of 44 years with the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office and a decade with Midge, a Chihuahua mouse terrier mix that smells drug certified by Guinness World Records in 2006 as the world’s smallest police dog. .
He and Midge, but especially Midge, were rock stars in Geauga County. Wherever McClelland went, Midge was by his side. In the office, he took a nap in a dog bed next to his desk. The schoolchildren were delighted during their visits.
McClelland’s successor, Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand, remembers driving a golf cart with McClelland and Midge in the passenger seat of the Geauga County Grand Fair. He said it was a slow journey when people flocked there, stroking and bothering Midge.
“He used to joke that people would see him at a parade in a car and say, ‘Hey, there’s Midge and what a name,'” Hildenbrand said. “I think he was more popular than him.”
Retired Lieutenant John Hiscox, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office, put it this way: “It was like taking Elvis Presley halfway.”
Despite his size, Midge didn’t let go of his job. It was McClelland who decided that Midge, the protagonist of his trash, would be an ideal dog for sniffing drugs.
Unlike the larger, more aggressive police dogs, the Midge would gently search for vehicles without tearing upholstery or leaving muddy footprints. Searching under vehicles was never a problem.
His association led to appearances in daily television talks and mentions in national magazines, including Playboy. He maintained his K-9 certifications until his joint retirement.
Hildenbrand said he was surprised when McClelland decided to retire and start traveling around the country in a RV with his wife, Beverly and, of course, Midge.
“He spent 44 years protecting the people of this county and frankly he loved his job every minute,” Hildenbrand said. “I thought he would never retire.
McClelland was a good leader who always considered the best interests of the county and the community, Hiscox said.
“He was fair and not afraid to make a decision,” Hiscox said. “He was always willing to listen, but when he made a decision it was final.”
The family said McClelland and Midge will be buried together.