Retired Ohio sheriff, world’s smallest police K9 die on same day

K9 Midge worked alongside Sheriff McClelland for 16 years

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GEAUGA COUNTY, Ohio — Retired Geauga County Sheriff Dan McClelland died Wednesday and hours later, his K9 partner Midge also passed away.

Both McClelland and Midge retired in 2016.

McClelland was with the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office for 44 years, the last 13 as sheriff, KKCO reported.

Midge, a miniature Chihuahua-rat terrier mix, holds the Guinness World Record as the smallest certified police service dog in the world, according to the news organization.

Though she was small, Midge was mighty. A certified narcotics detecting K9, Midge was trained to go where the big dogs can’t on the outskirts of Cleveland, Ohio.

Midge worked alongside McClelland for 16 years, Inside Edition reported.

“She was with him 24 hours a day,” Geauga County Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand said. “He brought her to meetings we’d go to, she’d ride in the car with him.”

It is with a heavy heart that I inform the residents of Geauga County that Retired Sheriff Dan McClelland has passed…

Posted by Geauga County Sheriff on Wednesday, April 14, 2021

“Sheriff McClelland, you didn’t just leave the sheriff’s office a better place, this world is a better place because we had the pleasure of knowing you, and we were all lucky enough to call you a friend and colleague,” posted the Burton Village Police Department on Facebook.

Today, we mourn, with broken hearts, the passing of Retired Geauga County Sheriff Dan McClelland. Sheriff McClelland was…

Posted by Burton Village Police Department on Wednesday, April 14, 2021

McClelland’s obituary says Midge will be buried at his side.


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