K-9 Leo Going to Oconto County

In this file photo, Door County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Matthew Tassoul and his K9 partner, Leo, are seen training in October 2021. The partnership did not work out, so Leo will go to Oconto County and Tassoul will get another dog. Tassoul was also the handler for the department’s previous K9, Oddin, who died last June.

Door County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Pat McCarty reported in July to the Door County Judiciary and Public Safety Committee that K-9 Leo – who joined the department in October 2021 – and his handler, Deputy Matthew Tassoul, were not a good fit. Oconto County will take Leo, and the handler will go to training in October and will get another dog.

Tassoul was the longtime handler for the department’s previous K-9, Oddin, who died in June 2020.

Deputy Tina Spaulding is the handler for the sheriff’s office’s second dog, TJ, a one-and-a-half-year-old Dutch shepherd who’s trained to detect narcotics and aid in search-and-rescue operations.

The Door County Board of Supervisors had authorized up to two K-9 units during its August 2021 meeting. The estimated budget to bring the dogs on board was $24,650 to replace Odinn and $33,700 for a second dog.