GRANT COUNTY, Ind. — The Grant County Sheriff’s Office announced they have welcomed a new member to their team following the untimely death of another member of the force.

Ellie Mae is a four-month-old red bloodhound and has joined the sheriff’s office following the death of K-9 Hutch in October due to K-9 epilepsy. Mae is a gift from the Jimmy Ryce Center for Victims of Predatory Abduction.

Training began last week for Ellie Mae and K-9 Handler Jennifer Ressett, who also had Hutch as a partner during his career with the Fairmount Police Department and the sheriff’s office.

Ressett and Ellie Mae spent last week in Kentucky at the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice to train alongside other bloodhounds.