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Peng joined the Celina Police Department on April 24, 2016.
CELINA - City officials at once honored the memory of retired Celina Police K-9 Peng and made arrangements for his successor.
After nine years of sniffing out narcotics, tracking down suspects and conducting all-around exemplary community service, Peng retired in December 2024. The pointy-eared, long-tongued K-9 hailing from Germany lived out the rest of his life with his long-time partner, Sgt. Gabe Bartlett and his family.
Peng recently had to be euthanized due to health reasons, Celina Mayor Jeff Hazel informed city council members at Monday night's regular meeting.
"He was a service dog for the police department, which did very well as a K-9 officer," Hazel said. "It's certainly with sadness anytime an animal is put down, but it reached a point he didn't have a choice. Condolences to Sgt. Bartlett and the rest of the police department, because they all got to know Peng really well. But that's always a tough issue. It's not just an animal, it's another officer."
Peng was selected by the department because of his friendly temperament, Celina Police Chief Wale told The Daily Standard back in May 2016. Peng's first day on the job was April 24, 2016, after he completed training at the Von Der Haus Gill Canine Academy near Wapakoneta.
Typically, a K-9 serves for up to 7 years; the Celina Police Department got 9 years out of Peng, Wale pointed out Monday night.
"The members of the Celina Police Department extend our heartfelt condolences to Sgt. Bartlett and his family during this difficult time. Peng's loyal service and dedication to our department and community will not be forgotten," the police department posted on social media.
Councilors then learned the city has received a $16,000 donation through the Mercer County Civic Foundation from a donor who wishes to remain anonymous for the purchase and training of a new K-9 officer for the Celina Police Department.
"In order to get the best selection of that K-9 unit, we need to get this filled now," Hazel said.
Councilors moved to suspend the rules requiring three public readings and passed legislation to accept the donation and appropriate the funds for a K-9 as an emergency measure.
The Celina Police Department has been without a K-9 officer for nearly a year and a half.
"We've been leaning pretty heavily over the last several months on the sheriff's department and Coldwater (police department) to help us with our K-9 needs," Wale said. "The dog does get a lot of use."
In addition to drug enforcement and tracking, the department's K-9 unit in the past has helped locate lost citizens and several years back saved the life of a woman who wandered away from a nursing home, according to Wale.
"We had an elderly dementia patient wander off in the middle of winter," Wale related. "The dog was able to track her down in the middle of the night and find her … trying to seek shelter in a vehicle."
Wale said the dog "saved her life."
"That was probably the most important thing we ever used the dog for," he said, adding that Celina Police K-9 officers have helped take hundreds of thousands of dollar worth of illicit drugs off the streets, as well.
After the meeting, Wale said the police department will likely turn to Von Der Haus Gill Canine Academy near Wapakoneta for its next K-9 officer, the same academy from which the Mercer County Sheriff's Office plans to acquire its next dog.
"I know they're going to send a dog through this year, and we'll probably send them through the same classes so they'll train together, which will actually be a good thing, teaching those two dogs to get to know each other, work together," Wale told councilors.
If all goes as planned, the police department's next K-9 officer should be ready for duty this fall.
Councilors on Monday night also suspended the rules and passed as an emergency measure legislation authorizing a lease agreement with the Little Locals commitee to hold a one-day, non-alcoholic carnival event for the community in about two-thirds of the Bryson Park District featuring games, a balloon artist, live music, face painting, food stations, a bouncy house and petting zoo on May 30.
An area of Ash Street and Lake Shore Drive will be closed for the event.
The emergency declaration was necessary because of the imminent date of the event, councilors noted.
"This is, I feel, like a really significant move by some volunteer agencies that are stepping in for our kids in the community. So often we have different events of different cost levels, but we just think this is a phenomenal way to give back to the community," Hazel said. "This is not about making money, this is about giving back to the community."
Brandi Wagner, the woman behind Little Locals, gave a brief overview of the planned events.
"I wanted to kind of connect the community to the kids in some way and also businesses who don't have tangible things to sell, like kind of start focusing on that," she said. "We're not going to charge businesses to come. All I'm asking is they're not selling anything, no alcohol and that it's technically free for the kids."
Council meets next at 7 p.m. May 25 in council chambers on the second floor of the city administration building.
