These police canines were purchased locally through Johnson’s K9. The two dual-purpose canines are Belgian Malinois, one of the single purpose canines is a Labrador Retriever and the other is a Dutch Shepherd. The K9 Unit is on call 365 days a year and responds to several different situations within the County. The Sheriff’s Office K9 Teams have also aided many outside agencies to include the FBI, ATF, DEA, Federal Bureau of Prisons and numerous others. These teams provide support for different divisions and units within the Office to include the Investigations Division, Patrol Division, Detentions Bureau, Metro VNI, Special Weapons and Tactics (S.W.A.T.), and Special Response Team (Detentions). The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit is a member of and certified with the National Police Canine Association (NPCA). The two single purpose dog teams each certify in narcotics detection. Each dual-purpose dog team is certified in the areas of handler protection, evidence searches, tracking, building searches, field searches, suspect apprehension, obedience, agility, and narcotic detection. The dual-purpose dog teams each certify in narcotics detection and patrol work.
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit is comprised of two dual purpose dog teams and two single purpose dog teams.
