And the winner is … Union County Sheriff’s Office announces new name of new K-9 puppy

UNION COUNTY, N.C. — The Union County Sheriff’s Office named its newest employee, a German Shepherd, in a community contest.

Union County Sheriff’s Office newest employee

Sherriff Eddie Cathey originally asked people to submit name suggestions in the Facebook comments on their post.

After the announcement, the sheriff’s office narrowed the search down to nine names.

On Monday, the sheriff’s office posted on its Facebook page that there was a winner.

“After tallying all the reactions, messages, handwritten letters, and phone calls, the name ‘Griff’ has proven to be the most popular name with over 2,000 votes by the public!” the post read.

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The 11-week-old German Shepherd, which was donated by Kaw-Tal German Shepherds, will be named “Griff” in honor of UCSO Sgt. Brian Griffin’s dedication and contributions to our K-9 program over the years.

Griffin has been part of the UCSO’s K-9 program since 2000.

The final name choices were:

Axel: Stands for “Father of Peace.” Honors U.S. Navy SEAL Matthew Axleson who sacrificed his life in Operation Red Wings during the war in Afghanistan in 2005.
Griff: Honors Union County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Brian Griffin whose dedication and discipline has been instrumental in building the K-9 program.
Honor: Recognizes the 158 law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
Kane: Associated with “warrior” or “tribute” in various languages.
Logan: In honor of a local young man who is on the autism spectrum and has dedicated his life to the care and well-being of all little creatures, especially dogs.
Radar: A radar system is a vital tool utilized to monitor the locations of important people places and things in different situations.
Thor: The name signifies strength and is often associated with thunder in Greek mythology.
Union: In honor of Union County, which was founded in 1842.
Valor: Defined as “strength of mind or spirit that enables one to encounter danger with firmness.”

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