K9 Officer Michael Blue "Mike"

K9 Officer Michael Blue “Mike” Obituary

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Deputy Sheriff K9 Michael Blue “Mike,” a beloved member of the Ross County Sheriff’s Office, and a former member of the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office, who entered eternal rest on February 17, 2025, at the age of nine.

Mike was a Belgin Malinois, who was born on November 1, 2015, in Germany before flying to the United States and becoming a member of the Shallow Creek Kennels – Premier Police Service Dogs Summer Class #130 in 2017 where he was introduced to his handler and Partner Deputy Dale Thomas.

Michael Blue served as an explosive detection patrol dog, as well as a member of the Pickaway and Ross County SRO Teams and the Pickaway County D.A.R.E. program. During his line of duty, Mike swept many locations looking for explosives to protect his students, his community, President Donald Trump, the Circleville Pumpkin Show and THE Ohio State Buckeyes. Mike’s first call was to assist Ross County Sheriff’s Office on a threat in 2017 days after becoming a Deputy, and his last call was as a member of the Ross County Sheriff’s Office in 2025. Most explosive K9 units go their entire career without finding an explosive, but not Mike. He detected explosives in a vehicle that was last occupied by a disgruntled employee of a local business. Mike had a keen sense of smell and had the incredible ability to detect around 14 different scents, linked to about 7,000 varieties of explosive devises.

Mike was nicknamed “Blue” while patrolling the halls of the local school districts of Pickaway and Ross Counties. Blue loved to be around people, especially the students he protected. He was known as the D.A.R.E. dog. The kids always loved to see Blue come into the building. They would give him a hi or good morning, and a good belly rub or treat. If he saw an upset student in the hall he would go into distraction mode and not stop until the student was petting him and smiling. He was so gentle. Blue loved his job, and loved to volunteer and show his skills off to his students and local community organizations.

In his off time, Mike lived with Deputy Thomas and enjoyed every second of his time with Dale and his family by playing ball, camping, taking jeep rides, swimming and chasing his cat sister, Alice. 

Michael Blue is survived by his human dad and mom (Dale & Shelley) & his human brother and sister-in-law Jon & Alexis and their dog, Violet, his dog brother Copper, his cat sister Alice and his turtle sister Shelly as well as many other family members, students and colleagues.

Michael Blue was a very devoted partner to Deputy Thomas, and he gave him all the love and loyalty a partner could ask for. He was loved and will truly be missed.

Michael Blue will be escorted home from Faithful Companion, 8200 Memorial Drive, Plain City, Ohio on February 20 at 1:30 p.m., by the Ross and Pickaway County Sheriff’s Offices, as well as other local departments to his home on London Road, with his last Watch call at that time. (Route: Memorial Drive to Industrial Parkway to 33 to I-270 to 23 to 22 to 56 to London Road)

If you would like to honor Michael Blue, you could do so by donating to the Ross County Sheriff’s Office D.A.R.E. program at 28 N. Paint Street, Chillicothe, Ohio 45601 or the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office D.A.R.E. program at 600 Island Road, Circleville, Ohio 43113.

We wanted to thank each of you for your support during this time, as well as for loving our Michael Blue “Mike” for the past 9 years. He was an amazing dog, and he loved every one of you.