A former Nowata County Sheriff's deputy and his police dog are stepping up their training - as they try to figure out what's next for them. Both resigned a little more than a week ago over concerns about the safety of the jail.

The place they train is not your average K-9 training facility. There are horse stables donated by a couple here in Bartlesville, but the space works pretty well for training K-9s like Ranger for life out in the field.

Job searching for Anthony Lein and K-9 Ranger is about much more than just applications and interviews. It is about preparation, hard work and lots of training.

Ranger is certified in narcotics detection. His owner says he found meth in the Nowata County Jail and helped with traffic stops.

Anthony says Ranger’s training didn't cost Nowata County a dime because he worked with Ranger on his own time. He also had help from friends working for other police departments who are using their personal time to prepare Anthony and Ranger for whatever comes next.

"Ranger was donated to me, not the Sheriff’s Office," said former Nowata County Deputy Anthony Lein.

When Anthony resigned from the Nowata County Sheriff’s Office, Ranger did as well.

"It kind of bonded the people that were resigning that even the dog was a part of it," said Lein.

At the end of February a carbon monoxide leak caused deputies to move inmates out of the Nowata County Jail. Weeks later, a judge ordered the inmates to be moved back into the jail. Lein says he is hoping the Nowata community is paying close attention.

"There was a rush to reopen it - I don't know why. I felt like the carbon monoxide issue could've been a lot more serious than it was," said Lein.

“I hope they are aware of what has gone on, that they are watching closely to the way thing went down, what has happened since that they are paying attention and that they hold their commissioners accountable."

Anthony says, resigning from his job as a deputy was tough but as soon as he realized the Sheriff had been asked to bring the inmates back to the jail, he knew what he had to do.

"There is some disappointment. I think that things were improving and there was some potential to do good things there with the dog and also with the agency in general,” said Lein,

"I felt like it was the right thing to do. I felt like it showed support for her decision, and I really didn't have desire to remain there with them resigning and possibly being forced to reopen the jail myself."

Now, their main focus is gearing up for the next step.

Law enforcement agencies from here in Oklahoma and in other states have already shown interest in Anthony and Ranger. Anthony says wherever they decide to work next their only goal is to stick together.

"He is very close to me, he follows me everywhere. At home when he is not in his crate, he is by my side," said Lein.