NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. — The Nassau County Sheriff's Office is paying tribute to the late Deputy Josh Moyers with the name of their newest K-9.
NCSO recently asked the community to suggest names for their new bloodhound puppy on social media, by phone or by mail. Sheriff Bill Leeper says his office received more than 1,000 name suggestions. A lot of them pointed toward naming the bloodhound after Deputy Moyers, who was shot and killed in the line of duty in 2021.
Ultimately, the handlers chose Ol' Red, suggested by Cheri Jones-Arp.
“We started looking at the names to see what was fitting," Leeper explained. "And, you know, Josh, his red hair stood out. You could pick him out of a crowd, and he was very proud of that. And so, we thought, what better than Ol’ Red? It just fit, just perfect.“
Sheriff Bill Leeper spoke to Deputy Moyers' parents and fiancé to ask permission for Ol' Red to be named in honor of him. They granted his request.
Nassau County Deputy J. Blount worked alongside Moyers on the Bravo Team for three years. Now, he's training the bloodhound that was named to pay tribute to his fallen brother.
“The Deputy Moyers case, they were pulling the bloodhound units from the jail a lot. And, to have a bloodhound to help find people... I think it really honors his memory to be able to do that," Blount explained. "I know that Deputy Moyers would be ecstatic to have a dog named after him or in memory of him. And, I just hope me and Ol’ Red here can help the community in the way that I know that he would have if he had opportunity and could still.”
Blount, a first-time K-9 handler, says he’s looking forward to the challenge with his new pal.
“He is a puppy. He is rambunctious, and just starting to learn," he said. "So, for now, we're working on obedience. I've taught him to jump up in the car, and he'll sit about a fourth of the time I ask him to.”
Ol' Red is a gift from the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff's office promises to keep their community updated on Ol' Red's growth and training as the new member of the NCSO family.
