WASHINGTON COUNTY - ( March 13, 2022) -Washington County, Indiana (March 13, 2022) – K9 officers are an integral part of many law enforcement agencies today. These dogs are highly intelligent and intensively trained.
March 13 is a day set aside to honor these special police partners.
“K9s have been a part of our sheriff’s department for many years,” said Sheriff Miller. “They have played an important role in numerous cases and make a real difference in our ability to solve crimes and find missing persons.”
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K9s often focus on a particular area, but some are trained to perform varied functions. These include drug detection, locating missing persons or apprehending suspects who try to flee from police.
K9 units come from generations of dogs specifically bred to perform the complicated tasks asked of police dogs, according to the American Kennel Club. Popular police dog breeds include Belgian Malinois, German Shepherd, Bloodhounds, Dutch Shepherd and Labrador retrievers. Washington County’s K9, Toby, is a Belgian Malinois. Toby is trained in tracking narcotics and article search.
Attacking a K9 officer is considered the same as attacking a human officer and those who do so will be charged with a felony.
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In addition to their important police responsibilities, K9 officers are great public relations officers. They love attention and offer a way for human officers to connect with the community in a positive manner.
“We are proud of Toby and handler Paul Reyling,” said Sheriff Miller. “We want to let the community know that every day, but especially on K9 Veterans Day.”
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