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   BACKUS — Cass County Sheriff’s K-9 Ryker has returned to full duty after being off the past seven weeks while recovering from an injury suffered Sept. 17.

   Cass County Sheriff Bryan Welk delivered the news about Ryker Tuesday, Feb. 20, to the Cass County Board while delivering his annual report. Ryker was injured after being struck in the head with a metal pipe twice while trying to apprehend a suspect in an assault near Cass Lake. Ryker underwent surgery and received treatment from the Animal Emergency and Referral Center of Minnesota for a fractured snout and eye socket, broken teeth, and several lacerations.

Welk said the sheriff’s office received a huge outpouring of support after the incident, with many residents sending notes, cards, well wishes, gifts and financial support during Ryker’s recovery and rehabilitation.

During the annual report, Welk said calls were slightly down again from 2022 at 19,442 initial complaint reports, which is average compared to previous years.

   Out of the 45,233 911 calls fielded by the sheriff’s office, 43,261 (approximately 95%) were received from cellular phones, with Saturdays continuing to be the busiest day and Wednesdays being the slowest day for calls, Welk said. The most calls continue to be between 3-9 p.m. with 6-8 p.m. being the peak, with weekdays now being just as busy as weekends, Welk noted.

   The processing of gun permits continued to rise during 2023, with the department processing 333 permit to purchase applications and 785 new and renewal permit to carry applications. Despite a statewide increase, Welk said in Cass County traffic crashes resulting in injuries decreased, with the sheriff’s department responding to investigate 79 crashes with injuries and 204 without injuries. For the first time in several years there were no motor vehicle fatality crashes in 2023 within Cass County. 

   A serious increase in overdose-related medical calls and deaths, mainly due to use of fentanyl, is being seen across the region, Welk said. Cass County responded to 80 medical-related overdose calls, with five resulting in death. The department administered Narcan, an opioid overdosing reversal drug, on a total of 65 calls during 2023.

   The county continues to see an increase in all-terrain vehicle traffic and complaints year round, with the rise in traffic on trails, roadways and public property. Welk said during 2023 several highly visible off-highway vehicle enforcement and educational saturations were conducted in high-traffic and complaint areas, along with hundreds of contacts being made with warnings and citations being issued for a variety of violations. For the first time in several years, off-highway vehicle crashes were investigated at a much lower rate, with zero fatalities and only 13 crashes resulting in injury.

   For a complete list of calls and to learn more about the sheriff’s programs, see the full sheriff’s report at www.casscountymn.gov.

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