K9 Deputy Dogs
August 3, 2020
When it comes to fighting crime, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office believes it’s barking up the right tree.
This week, the sheriff’s office welcomed five new dogs to its growing K9 unit that already includes 21 dogs.
The new dogs include a patrol K9, two K9s assigned to sheriff’s highway interdiction Ttam and two narcotics detection K9s assigned to the Land O Lakes Detention Center to help thwart the smuggling of illegal drugs into the jail.
The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office was one of the first law enforcement agencies in Tampa Bay to routinely use K9s. The unit, including training, equipment, medical care and food for the dogs is funded through the Pasco Sheriff’s Charities.
Lt. Clint Cabbage, who oversees the K9 unit, said the all the K9s go through a rigorous selection and certification process before earning their badges. This includes specialized training designed for specific law enforcement tasks.
Chris, a German Shepherd who joined the K9 unit in 2017, is specially training to detect explosives and serves on the Tampa Bay Regional Bomb Squad, assisting at high-profile sporting events ad the Gasparilla Parade.
Trinity, also a German Shepherd, is a member of the National Narcotic Detector Dog Association. He’s responsible for hundreds of arrests and narcotics seizures.
Knox, a bloodhound that was purchased through a donation when he was just 8 weeks, underwent extensive training to learn to track and trail missing people and fleeing criminals. He is now certified through the National Police Bloodhound Association.
Phi, a yellow lab, is also certified by the NNDDA but his specialty is finding human remains on land and water. He has assisted the FBI on numerous cases.
The other members of the Pasco Sheriff’s K9 unit specialize in explosives detection, narcotics detection, tracking, evidence recovery, apprehending fleeing criminals, building searches and cadaver searches.
The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office is also among the first law enforcement agencies to add mental health therapy dogs to its K9 unit. Charlie and Mango are trained to calm and comfort children in crisis, agitated people with mental health problems and drug addicts experiencing anxiety.
Most Recent News
Former Victoria man’s diabetic alert dog helps him get back to life
When Luke Hengen’s diabetes worsened in his early twenties, it stripped him of the outdoor activities where the country kid felt at home. Countless wilderness adventures and years of hard-fought football games took a toll on his body, to the point where he could no longer sense when his blood sugar was too high or […]
Students Get Therapy Dog
When middle school students return to class on Jan. 11, they’ll find a new face at the door: Daisy. Daisy is a therapy dog and the personal pet of Rob Kreger, principal of the Rock L. Butler Middle School. The five-year-old golden retriever is not a school pet or mascot, but rather a working dog […]
Therapy Dogtor
Last March, Caroline Benzel, a third-year medical student, began to notice the stress and discomfort her nurse friends were feeling from the pressures of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. “[Personal protective equipment] can be really rough on the skin,” Benzel, 31, tells PEOPLE. Benzel and her 3-year-old Rottweiler, Loki (who’s also a therapy dog) hatched a […]
Therapy Dog Pups
When Stanley the miniature fox terrier’s owner passed away, the little dog started a ‘paw-some’ new role – bringing puppy love to some of the Gold Coast’s oldest residents. After Carinity Cedarbrook Diversional Therapist Julianne Staff adopted Stanley, he began visiting the aged care community at Mudgeeraba as a therapy dog. Therapy dogs help to […]
Puppy Cams
A nonprofit is providing an unusual form of therapy for those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic – puppy cams! “You spend five minutes with a puppy and try not to smile,” said registered nurse Robin Lingg Lagrone. Lingg Lagrone says watching little furballs wag their tails and prance on their paws helps […]
Pet Committee
When Moore County’s school doors were abruptly closed earlier in 2020, two- and four-legged volunteers from the Moore County Citizens’ Pet Responsibility Committee (PRC) were in their 12th year of presenting a six-session Pet Responsibility Education Program for fourth-graders. The PRC quickly shifted gears and placed its program materials online as part of a home […]