National Dog Day recognizes some of our favorite furry friends and Pasco Sheriff’s Office is celebrating their 39 current K-9s, who serve the citizens of Pasco County each and every day. PSO K-9s have a wide range of unique abilities that allows PSO to serve the community, no matter the need. A K-9’s unique skills help PSO deputies respond to a variety of calls, from searching for evidence to providing comfort to those who need it most. 

K-9s with certain specialties have different training requirements, ranging from 16 weeks to over a year before they take their first calls for service. K-9s also train weekly throughout their careers to ensure their skills stay sharp and they’re prepared to work in any environment they may face. For instance, PSO’s patrol K-9 teams complete 16 weeks of patrol school at PSO, where they’re extensively trained in tracking missing people, building and area searches to locate evidence and apprehension. Many K-9s are then trained to detect a particular scent, such as dangerous narcotics, accelerates or explosive materials, as a “dual purpose” K-9.

One of PSO’s most common calls for service is to find missing people. From runaway individuals to those experiencing a medical condition or thoughts of self-harm to those who have run after committing a crime, K-9s help deputies work faster to recover these individuals than deputies searching alone, and can help deputies narrow down their search areas. PSO even has bloodhounds in the unit, who offer the unique ability of tracking after hours-long delays and over water. 

PSO’s K-9 unit also has dogs with highly unique skills not often found in law enforcement, but are critical for calls in Pasco County. For instance, PSO is one of the only law enforcement agencies in the United States that has a human remains detection K-9 paired with a forensic investigator. This ensures a K-9’s finds are preserved immediately as a crime scene by a trained investigator, which can ultimately help bring closure to a victim’s loved ones. Additionally, PSO has a “live find” K-9, who can locate those who are missing in the aftermath of natural or manmade disasters, such as building collapses or hurricane devastation. 

While individuals experiencing a crisis might be uncomfortable speaking with a deputy, an Animal-Assisted Therapy K-9 can ease these situations by allowing the individual to focus on the K-9’s calm and confident presence. Four of PSO’s five AAT K-9s were selected from Brevard County Sheriff’s Office’s “Paws and Stripes” program, in which inmates train shelter dogs basic obedience skills and transform them into calm and confident companions, while also learning valuable life skills themselves. PSO’s AAT K-9s partner with Behavioral Health Intervention Team deputies, who often meet with those in crisis or those experiencing a mental health challenge, as well as Community Engagement deputies, who meet with citizens throughout the county.

No matter their role, PSO’s K-9 unit is proud to serve Pasco County and keep citizens safe. PSO is incredibly thankful for the community we serve, as the funds to purchase, train and equip all of PSO’s K-9s comes from community donations from citizens, groups and businesses. We are deeply grateful for these generous donations that allow us to have the multi-skilled and expansive K-9 unit to best serve our community. If you are interested in learning more or donating, visit: pascosheriffcharities.org.