Polk County Sheriff's Office Welcomes New K9 Officer Bo

Donation from local resident helps department replace recently deceased K9 Rex

Mar. 12, 2026 at 2:14am

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The Polk County Sheriff's Office in Crookston, Minnesota has a new K9 officer named Bo, a 14-month-old German Shepherd donated by local resident Mark 'Mac' McDonough. Bo and his handler, Deputy Titan Engen, will train at McDonough's school on various law enforcement tasks. The department is continuing to raise funds for Bo's training and equipment needs.

Why it matters

The addition of K9 Bo comes after the recent death of the department's previous K9 officer, Rex, who served for seven years before passing away from Lyme Disease. K9 units play a critical role in law enforcement operations, assisting with suspect apprehension, evidence searches, and other public safety duties.

The details

The Polk County Sheriff's Office received the 14-month-old German Shepherd named Bo from local resident Mark 'Mac' McDonough. Bo and his handler, Deputy Titan Engen, will train at McDonough's school on a variety of law enforcement tasks including handler protection, building and evidence searches, tracking suspects and lost people, suspect apprehension, and drug detection. The department will continue fundraising efforts to cover Bo's training and necessary equipment.

  • The Polk County Sheriff's Office received the new K9 officer Bo in March 2026.
  • The department's previous K9 officer, Rex, passed away in February 2026 after being diagnosed with Lyme Disease.

The players

Polk County Sheriff's Office

The law enforcement agency serving Polk County, Minnesota.

Mark 'Mac' McDonough

A local resident who donated the new K9 officer Bo to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

Deputy Titan Engen

The handler for the new K9 officer Bo.

Sergeant Ben Stout

The previous handler for the department's late K9 officer Rex.

K9 Rex

The Polk County Sheriff's Office's previous K9 officer who passed away in February 2026 after being diagnosed with Lyme Disease.

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What they’re saying

“The addition of K9 Bo is a welcome development for our department and the community we serve. We're grateful to Mr. McDonough for his generous donation, and we look forward to Bo and Deputy Engen completing their training to join our law enforcement efforts.”

— Sheriff Mike Nornes, Polk County Sheriff

What’s next

Deputy Engen and K9 Bo will undergo several weeks of intensive training at McDonough's law enforcement K9 school before officially joining the Polk County Sheriff's Office patrol team.

The takeaway

The Polk County Sheriff's Office's new K9 officer Bo represents an important investment in the department's public safety capabilities following the recent loss of their previous K9 partner. Community support through donations like McDonough's help ensure the department can maintain a robust K9 unit to assist with critical law enforcement duties.