K-9 Spartan awarded medal for his first successful life-saving track

Hardin County Sheriff J.T. Fricker, Hardin County Resident Judge Tara Cook, Rosiclare Chief of Police Brian Burton (handler) and K9 Spartan.

By Jennifer Lane, Editor

On Monday morning, Hardin County Resident 2nd Circuit Judge Tara Cook presented a medal to K9 Spartan and his handler, Rosiclare Chief of Police Brian Burton, for Spartan’s first life-saving track. Sheriff J. T. Fricker was also in attendance for the special presentation. The medal reads: “Front Line Hero – To Spartan for a rescue 2/4/26.”

 On Wednesday, February 4, 2026 around 5:40 p.m. a person was reported missing in Perkins Campground near the Ohio River on Patton Drive in Elizabethtown. The caller said the person was thought to be in need of help and be located soon for his own safety. Elizabethtown Marshal Brian Reed responded to the call.

 With freezing temperatures, snow that had melted and refrozen into solid sheets of ice, and fading daylight, Elizabethtown Chief of Police, Marshal Brian Reed told the Independent that he requested mutual aid from Hardin County Sheriff’s Deputies William Bowers and Jordan Franks, and Rosiclare Police Chief Brian Burton and K9 Spartan, to help find the missing man. The terrain was extremely slick, making it hard to search in an expedited fashion.

 At 5:47 p.m., K9 Spartan was deployed for search after gaining access to the missing person’s vehicle and gathering the smell information he needed to track him. Chief Burton said K9 Spartan instantly presented with an  obvious behavior change and alerted Burton that he was on a good track. Chief Burton said there were footprints and tracks in the snow going all different directions so it would have been very time consuming and difficult for first repsonders to find the missing person. K9 Spartan ignored all the visible foot prints and tracks, as he was using his nose to track, which led officers directly to the missing man 150 yards away, about the length of a football field. K9 Spartan found the man within four minutes.

 “K9 Spartan navigated a densely wooded and water heavy section of the riverfront,” said Marshal Reed. “That would have been nearly impossible for human searchers to accomplish in such a short amount of time.” 

  The man was found lying on the river bank and was in need of immediate serious medical help. Chief Burton said he would have expired if he wasn’t located as fast as he was and K9 Spartan played a crucial role in providing this. 

 “Normally a search like that could take hours… or longer,” said Chief Burton. “It was really rewarding to see how fast a K9 track can pay off when you are searching a broad location.”

 Marshal Reed added, “K9 Spartan has already proven to be an indispensable, highly efficient and invaluable officer for tracking lost or missing persons.” 

 As on-scene officers rushed in to secure and assist the man, K9 Spartan was taken away from the activity where he received treats and rewards for his smart work. K9 Spartan was secured for his safety and Chief Burton rejoined the effort to assist others on scene.  

 Elizabethtown Fire Department helped transport the man up the icy hill to where Hardin County Ambulance was staged. The man was transported to Hardin County General Hospital by EMS and then flown out by Air Evac 138 to Deaconess in Evansville for further treatment.

 “The ability for Hardin County to have access to a K9 track this quickly has already proven to show immeasurable benefits,” said Chief Burton. “In this situation alone, K9 Spartan’s assistance proved to be life saving.”  

 Chief Burton said K9 Spartan knew exactly what his job was that evening and was eager and ready to go to work. This was K9 Spartan’s first successful find on a track. Since December 2025, he has been deployed on six different tracks throughout Hardin County, and one in a neighboring county. Chief Burton said on previous tracks, all people were located, but K9 Spartan was never deployed in the locations where they were found.

 K9 Spartan’s story – 

 K9 Spartan, a male Belgian Malinois, was a rescue who was set to be euthanized until he was given a second chance at Redemption Ranch K9. Redemption Ranch is a not for profit (501c3) charitable organization in Plainfield, Indiana, a suburb of Indianapolis. There, from shelter to shield, Spartan and other dogs received expert training and rehabilitation to become highly trained police canines. These dogs gain a purpose and new lease on life, all at the same time elevating the effectiveness of small local law enforcement agencies serving and protecting their communities. 

 In December 2025, Spartan became a K9 Officer for the Rosiclare Police Department, with his handler being Rosiclare Police Chief Brian Burton. 

 Before being taken in at Redemption Ranch, Spartan’s original name was Dennis. As part of the program, dogs in training are renamed by their handler. Chief Burton found the name Spartan fitting because he would be primarily serving at his base in Rosiclare, a town once known  as the “FluorSPAR Capital of the World.” As a requirement of being Spartan’s handler, he lives with Chief Burton and his family. He has already gained the nickname “Spar Spar” from Chief Burton’s children, Riley and Maverick.

Published in the February 26, 2026 Hardin County Independent.

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