Offenberger selected as K9 Handler
- farleyk2019
- Mar 4
- 3 min read
Funds currently being raised for program
Hat Tip Katelynn Farley
Last week, the Huntington City Police Department hosted a fish fry fundraiser at Huntington North High School in an effort to raise funds for their K9 program. Officer Dustin Offenberger has been selected as the department’s new canine handler and was present at the event to meet members of the community.
First responders, government leaders and community members alike descended upon Huntington North High School to take part in the fundraiser dinner. Merchandise was also on sale, enabling community members to further support the cause both financially and by furthering awareness of the program.
Police Chief Cory Boxell was present to speak for a few moments about the program and about Officer Offenberger. He also explained the basic timeline of when community members can expect the canine to become a part of the department.
Aside from fundraising, the next steps for the program will be to outfit a truck with a kennel for the dog. Next, Offenberger will meet with a master trainer later this summer that will help choose a dog. The master trainer may be from the Fort Wayne Police Department, the Allen County Sheriff's Department or the Indiana State Police. The actual dog training will take place in the fall. The cooler months are better for training so the dogs don’t become exhausted due to the heat. The hope is that the K9 program will be up and running this fall.
“I just want to thank everyone tonight for coming out,” Boxell said. “We greatly appreciate everyone being here and helping support our efforts to return the K9 program to the City of Huntington Police Department.”
Boxell also said that he appreciates Offenberger’s involvement in the community, stating that he was “a great asset to us here at the Huntington Police Department.”
Offenberger joined the Huntington Police Department in December 2021. Prior to being a member of the police department, Offenberger served in the United States Marine Corps from 2017 to 2021 and was stationed at Camp Lejune, North Carolina. He has received multiple letters of appreciation for his on-duty performance and currently works on second shift as a certified training officer.
Offenberger shared his thanks for the community’s help with this fundraiser and the continued support for the police department.
“We couldn’t do it without the community,” Offenberger said. “Other than that, I would just like to say that we are looking forward to the process. It’s going to be a long one, but we couldn’t do it without the community and I am very thankful for everything they’ve done for us.”
The canine, once it has officially joined the department, will be a “tremendous help” and there are many ways that the dog can help the department including community events and locating missing persons.
“The possibilities are endless, really,” Offenberger said.
The police department shared a list of some of the businesses and individuals that have donated to the cause thus far. Not all donors are listed as a minimum dollar amount was required to be added to the list, and other individuals and businesses are continuing to contribute as time goes on. Those listed as of March 2, 2025, were:
Seth Kimmel of Kimmel Financial Services
Marc Phillips
Chief LaFontaine Saddle Club
Ron and Joyce Whitacre
David and Vicky Denton
Incipio Devices
DFA/Shenkel’s Dairy
Heartland REMC
The department hopes to continually update the community about the K9 program efforts.
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