Annie Marion Riggle and his dog Annie were not just a man and the dog that he loved. They were partners who fought crime for Carroll County together. And when Doberman Pinscher Annie died recently it was a sad day for her beloved handler Riggle.

Annie was born in May 1997 to the brother of the first certified K-9 Riggle handled, Becky. Annie came to Riggle when she was 10 weeks old and training for her Carroll County assignment began immediately. Becky passed away in September two years later and Annie became the go-to dog for Riggle.

Riggle was sworn in as a special deputy in 1992 by then sheriff Lee Hoard. The highly experienced handler said he tracked crime scenes with dogs "for a long while before I started working for the county."

Riggle said Annie "liked people and kids," and enjoyed "being loved and petted." She was certified as a police and narcotics tracker by the North American Police Work Dog Association. She worked with Riggle approximately eight years before dying at age 11. Riggle said he could not guess how many cases she worked for the sheriff's department and both the Flora and Delphi police departments.

"She was a dog that could do the job and knew what she was doing," Riggle said. "She had a lot of training. Whatever the job was, she knew it when she got there and she did it."

"She would do the job without a lot of fanfare," he added.

Riggle said he and Annie were very comfortable with each other.

"She was kind of a sweetheart," he said. "I didn't have to worry about her biting anyone."

Riggle would also teach other handlers for the police dog association. He said Annie went with him because she liked being around people, but she did not assist him with training duties.

"She did a lot of traveling to places in her life," he said.

Carroll County Sheriff Maj. Tobe Leazenby said Annie "was a good dog."

"When we called Marion, we could always count on him," Leazenby said. "Every time he was called out he responded. And Annie was always right there with him."

"I've always been impressed with the amount of training Marion and Annie did in Indiana and surrounding states," he continued. "His caliber of K-9 training reflects positively on this county. We were fortunate to have somebody like that around."

Leazenby guessed that Riggle worked in excess of 50 cases for the county during Annie's tenure.

"Both of them were very dedicated and reliable," Leazenby concluded. "Marion is highly respected by his peers and his students. He is a very professional tracker."