Scott County sheriff says he will seek lawful return of K-9 Rex

BENTON, Mo. — A day after the Scott County Commission ordered the county’s K-9 to be reunited with its former handler, the sheriff said early Wednesday he will seek the lawful return of K-9 Rex.

In a news release issued Wednesday, Scott County Sheriff Wes Drury said K-9 Rex was purchased with money donated to the Scott County Sheriff’s Office.

“As such, he is the exclusive property of the Scott County Sheriff’s Office,” Drury said.

K-9 Rex was being boarded at the direction and expense of the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, the sheriff said.

“Outgoing Commissioner (Jim) Glueck, aided only by Commissioner (Terry) Cole, entered a statement, wholly beyond their authority as county commissioner, that the canine should be given to Hunter Juden, who is a private citizen and not a deputy with the Sheriff’s Office,” Drury said in the release.

Drury said he will seek the lawful return of Rex which, he reiterated, was purchased by the citizens of Scott County for use by the Scott County Sheriff’s Office.

“The good citizens of this county made their donations in order to assist the Scott County Sheriff’s Office in fulfilling its duties to protect the safety of the people of Scott County,” Drury said. “It is disappointing that outgoing Commissioner Glueck and Commissioner Cole would take such an action beyond the authority of their office. The citizens of Scott County deserve better than this from their elected officials.”

Tuesday’s regular Scott County Commission meeting, which Drury did not attend, was held in the courtroom at the Scott County Courthouse in Benton to accommodate the large crowd in attendance. The county’s three commissioners — Glueck, Cole and Scott County Second District Commissioner Donnie Kiefer — along with the presiding commissioner-elect Danny Tetley, who was present at Tuesday’s meeting, verbally stated they thought Rex should return with its previous handler and former Scott County Sheriff’s deputy, Hunter Juden.

Scott County Prosecuting Attorney Amanda Oesch drafted an order from the commission, which was signed by the three commissioners. The order read: “The Scott County Commission has determined that K-9 Rex has met his time of service for the Scott County and its citizens. He is now 9 years old, and considering his age, the amount of money and time needed to retrain him for further service, it’s in Scott County’s best interest to retire the dog and deem him surplus property for Scott County. Further, the Scott County Commission is ordering the release of said property, K-9 Rex, to Hunter Juden.”

Within an hour of the meeting ending, Juden posted on social media he had been reunited with Rex.

After the meeting, Oesch commented on the legality of the Commission’s order.

“There’s always legal remedies available,” the prosecuting attorney said. “This could end up in court and it could end up for a judge to decide, but I believe, based on what the Commission heard today, as well as the research that we’ve done in regards to K-9 Rex, his service, other K-9s across the state of Missouri and the training going forward, I think the Commission is supported in their decision, and I think they’re within their legal bounds.”