She served Otsego County well and now she's getting a much-deserved retirement - Otsego County Sheriff's Office K-9, Mika. According to the Otsego County Sheriff's Office, this amazing dog served well in her career which spanned from 2011 into 2022, assisting deputies during many search warrants, looking for missing persons, and searching for explosives/firearms. Mika has served during some high-profile cases like sniffing for explosives and firearms at National Baseball Hall of Fame Inductions with thousands of people present and even doing that same job when former President Barack Obama visited Cooperstown. Mika has also done her fair share of community outreach and shown off her skills in public demonstrations.

It's not easy to become a police K-9. Mika was donated by an Albany dog breeder to undergo the rigorous training process of a K-9 which includes basic obedience, agility, handler protection, detection, tracking, and building searches. She had to pass all sorts of training tests before becoming a certified K-9 used in police work.

Mika is named after U.S. Army Corporal Michael L. Mayne of Burlington Flats, NY. who sadly died on February 23, 2009, from wounds he received during an attack on his unit in Balad, Iraq. What a great way to honor his memory by naming this special dog after him!

Mika's handler over the years and the officer she went through her training with is Deputy Sheriff Sergeant Kristopher Solovitch, with whom Mika gets to spend her retirement, just relaxing and enjoying fun things with him and his family.

Look: Susquehanna SPCA Miracle Puppies

The Susquehanna SPCA helped to rescue a puppy mill female dog, a 6-year-old Siberian husky named "Candy" that was retired from breeding. Through an alliance with Furever Friends Dog Rescue of WNY, a nonprofit group in Ohio that saves retired dogs from puppy mills, the dog was being cared for at the Cooperstown shelter and being prepared for adoption. Part of that process is to spay the dog before adopting it out. A big surprise happened during the surgery - the very thin dog was found to be carrying inside her a litter of four puppies. Three of them were found to be still alive and were saved. What a miracle!

NATURE LOVERS: Varied Scenery Makes This Oneonta, NY Trail A Real Gem

Oneonta, NY is a great place for outdoor recreation with the Susquehanna Greenway Trail. As an ongoing project, there are 3 sections completed in the Susquehanna Greenway for use of the four-section trail system along the Susquehanna River. One of those sections is the Silas Lane Loop Trail which is located just off exit 13 of I-88.

These Ten Beers are the Highest Rated in New York State

Residents of the Empire State have been cracking open these cold ones more than any others. Which beers are the highest-rated in all of New York state?

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