TOPEKA (KSNT)- K-9s from all over the country are being celebrated and honored today for their hard work and dedication to the job for National K-9 Veterans Day on March 13, including the Topeka Police Department’s K-9 units.
Each K-9 specializes in its own area of expertise. The dogs have the special ability to track suspects, detect narcotics, collect evidence and, most importantly, protect their officers.
“We want a dog that is trainable, that can work around anybody and everybody in all different environments. and it goes through a long process. We travel to get our dogs. During the selection process, we go through a list of anywhere between 15 to 20 dogs to find out what one dog is or a dog that we’re looking for going back to Topeka,” said Sergeant of the K-9 Unit, Josh Miller.
As of February 17th, the TPD excitedly announced that they have two new dogs in training. These dogs will specialize in narcotic detection.
“There’s a lot of pride that you get after training a dog for that long to see them go out and protect other officers, protect you and it’s just a really satisfying feeling,” said K-9 Officer Kyle Weishaar. ”I think it’s their willingness to work, their willingness to go and do things that put their lives in danger for us so that we don’t have to do that.”
The most common breeds for K-9 officers are German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois. They have unique talents and are able to serve in the force for six to nine years.
“It’s easy to forget once they retire how much they do for us and we’re constantly reminded by the dogs that we currently keep,” Weishaar said.
K-9s also work as law enforcement officers. To help them do their job, they have over 30 traits and biological impulses that their handlers utilize.
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