CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The Laramie County Sheriff’s Office proudly announced the graduation of its latest K-9 teams July 26. These teams have successfully completed a rigorous training program, earning certification in detecting explosives or narcotics. The community welcomes K-9 Yento with Deputy Groendal, K-9 Blair with Deputy Wright and K-9 Yapp with Sergeant Atencio.
K-9 Dak with Deputy Wiltanger graduated about 6 weeks ago, and K-9 Arek with Deputy Herlihey have been with the department a few years but was re-certified during this training.
These highly trained K-9s have undergone extensive preparation, honing their skills to assist in law enforcement. The strong bond between each K-9 and handler plays a role in their ability to identify illegal substances or explosives. This capability is for community safety and supports the LSCO’s mission to uphold the law, according to a press release by the LCSO.
Sheriff Brian Kozak shared his excitement about the new additions to the force. “We were able to graduate three brand-new dogs in our canine unit. So we got two patrol dogs, and we also have a new bomb dog as well. We’re pretty excited about that, to get them on the streets so we can start taking a bite out of crime.”
During their training, each K-9 team participated in challenging exercises designed to enhance their olfactory skills and teamwork. The graduation ceremony marked their readiness to serve the Laramie County community.
Deputy Wiltanger, now a certified K-9 decoy, will work with K-9 Dak. Wiltanger’s dual role allows the dog to perform narcotics searches both in the jail and on the street. “His dog just graduated training about six, seven weeks ago,” Kozak said during the ceremony.
Kozak outlined the expectations for the new K-9 teams. “The two patrol dogs can be called to traffic stops by either the Cheyenne Police Department or Laramie County or Highway Patrol to help detect narcotics on traffic stops. They give the officers reason to search the car and make arrests. The patrol dogs can also search for suspects when they run from the police, track the person down and apprehend them. Additionally, they protect their handlers if someone is violent and attacks the officer.”
The training program for the K-9 teams was intensive, involving building searches, suspect apprehension, narcotics detection, tracking, civil tracking and explosives detection. Deputy Herlihey’s dog, K-9 Arek, is now certified in detecting bombs, weapons and ammunition. “We use her dog when the bomb team is called out,” Kozak explained. This includes checking for secondary devices during large events like Frontier Days.
Deputy Groendal’s K-9, Yento, can find narcotics in buildings and cars and perform apprehension work. He described a key feature of their partnership: “If someone assaults me, I have this door pop,” Groendal explained. “He’ll come out and start attacking the guy for me, help me out.”
The training process, overseen by experts like Jason Kerr, co-owner of MakorK9 of West Virginia, involves sourcing dogs from Europe. These dogs are selected for their intense drive for toys and hunting, critical for their training. “The dog will do just about anything for the reward,” Kerr explained. “They live their life for the toy.”
Kerr elaborated on the training methods, highlighting the dogs’ intense focus on their toys. “From the time they’re born, they’re selected for their drives. If you throw the toy off a cliff, they’ll go after it,” he said. This drive is crucial for their effectiveness in detecting various odors, including narcotics and explosives.
The handlers undergo ongoing training, spending about 40 hours a month maintaining the dogs’ skills. This training ensures the dogs know when to work and when to relax, a critical balance for their effectiveness. Sergeant Atencio, who leads the unit, emphasized the importance of this continuous training. “These dogs are highly trained and the best handlers ensure they’re doing the right thing,” Atencio said.
This extensive training comes with a price, though, as each of the drug dogs costs an estimated $15,000 to buy and train, and the new bomb dog and recertification of the already working bomb dog coming in at $18,000. Funds from drug forfeiture and the K-9 budget were used for the purchases, according to LCSO Public Information Officer Brandon Warner.
The graduation event also highlighted the unique traits of the dogs. Deputy Wright’s K-9, Blair, a rare blue Dutch Shepherd, exemplifies the exceptional quality of the unit’s canines. “It’s a one in 10,000 chance for a dog to be born blue,” an Kerr noted.
During the ceremony, another handler described the rigorous nature of the training. “It was three weeks straight working with our dogs,” Deputy Herlihey said. “Our decoy definitely earned his paycheck. It was hard work but definitely worthwhile and a ton of fun.”
Sheriff Kozak acknowledged the hard work involved in training these K-9 units. “It feels good to give them a celebration because it’s a lot of hard work. Just the last three weeks, full-time intensive training, but it doesn’t stop there. They spend near 40 hours a month ongoing training. The handler really has to invest their personal time and their work time to make sure these dogs are top notch, highly trained.”
Herlihey added insights into the specific tasks her dog, K-9 Arek, can perform: “Arek was just re-certified in the detection of bombs, weapons, and ammunition.”
“We use her dog in patrol when a suspect may have thrown a gun while fleeing,” Kozak explained.
The K-9 teams will now serve the community, providing valuable support in various law enforcement activities. The LCSO anticipates that these dogs will serve for many years, enhancing public safety and contributing to successful operations.
Sheriff Kozak had a final message for the community and potential criminals: “To the criminals out there, go somewhere else because you’re not going to want to mess with these dogs.”
