Rocky is a trained K-9 by day and McHenry County Sheriff’s Deputy Paul Cosman’s four-legged best friend by night.

Currently, Rocky is one of three trained K-9s working in the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office. The German shepherd is trained to track and sniff out narcotics, search for cadavers and protect his handler.

The K-9 program has existed in the department since the early 1990s. Once a dog is trained and acquainted with its handler, most law enforcement agencies expect to work with that dog for eight to 10 years.

Once a K-9 is no longer deemed fit to work on the job, one question remains: Where will the dog go? Some K-9s stay with their handler, while others are sent to animal shelters or taken in by another department employee.

Two Illinois legislators are hoping to provide that question with an easy answer.

Illinois Sens. Thomas Cullerton, D-Villa Park, and Jacqueline Y. Collins, D-Chicago, proposed Senate Bill 3129, which would allow a police dog that is deemed no longer fit for public service to be offered by the law enforcement agency to the officer. Proposed in February, the Police Dog Retirement Act says that if the officer does not wish to keep the dog, it may be offered to another employee in the agency, to a nonprofit organization or to a no-kill animal shelter.

A similar bill, House Bill 6031, also was proposed and passed unanimously in the Illinois House by Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur.

The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office is one of several departments with this proposed policy in place.

[ PHOTOS: McHenry County Sheriff's K-9 gives hugs ]

Rocky – after working within the department for nearly eight years – is expected to retire this fall, and Deputy Cosman said there is no question when asked whether he wanted to take ownership of the dog.

“Rocky is just like a normal family pet, but he knows when I put on my uniform or grab my keys it’s time to go to work,” Cosman said.

The sheriff’s office will transfer ownership to Cosman by selling the dog to him for $1 – an action that also transfers the liability from the department to the officer.

Cosman first applied for the program because of his love for dogs, and he will be one of the first deputies in the sheriff’s office to receive another K-9 after Rocky’s retirement.

When a handler assumes responsibility of a K-9, it’s no longer just part of the job. The dog becomes part of the family, said Sgt. Dan Patenaude, a K-9 supervisor.

“They’re not just a pet for any of us, they are a family member,” Patenaude said. “(Taking the dog away) would be like your child turning 12 years old and saying, ‘Alright, he’s going somewhere else.’ “

Officers don’t often receive a second K-9 because the opportunity can be rare and the department wants to present that option to others who may be interested.

“You see (the dog) more than you see your family,” Cosman said, adding that the maintenance training he undergoes with Rocky takes up a good chunk of his daily life.

The Crystal Lake Police Department first started its K-9 program in 2004. The program has had two canines since its implementation.

“The handler and K-9 have a close relationship due to the amount of time spent together,” said Tom Kotlowski, Crystal Lake police deputy chief of operations. “The K-9 resides with the handler, which allows them more time together.”

Similarly to other county law enforcement agencies, each handler must complete an eight-week training session and additional ongoing maintenance training each month. The police department also implements a $1 fee to the handler if they are interested in buying the dog upon retirement.

McHenry police Officer Larry Popp has worked as a K-9 handler for almost 10 years and couldn't imagine doing anything else. Popp currently works with a 5-year-old German Shepherd, Duke.

“It’s a bond I can’t even really put into words,” he said of his relationship with Duke.

Popp said from the very beginning Duke has felt more like a member of his family than a strictly work relationship.

“Ever since I was handed that leash it was like a match made in heaven,” he said.

Popp said he’s grateful the department has a policy that allows officers to keep their K-9s if they so choose because he couldn’t imagine not having Duke by his side.

McHenry Police Cmdr. Tom Walsh said the department understands the bond the officer forms with his or her K-9, therefore the decision to allow the officer to keep the dog is a relatively easy one.

“It’s no different than a human partner,” Walsh said. “You become close to your dog.”