K9
K-9 Unit
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office currently has six K-9 teams and they are assigned to the Patrol Division and Special Services Unit. There are five tracking/apprehension K-9 teams, and one trailing/tracking K-9 team. K-9 teams are on-call 24 hours a day. The K-9 teams devote a significant amount of time to ongoing training. They train individually almost every day and train with other K-9 teams in Central Oregon on a bi-weekly basis. Being a K-9 handler is a significant commitment. Our K-9 teams also regularly assist other law enforcement agencies in Central Oregon. Our tracking/apprehension K-9 teams are certified annually by the Oregon Police Canine Association and our trailing/tracking K-9 is certified annually by the National Police Bloodhound Association.
Deputy Nathan Witherspoon & K-9 Vinnie
Deputy Nathan Witherspoon has served with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office since 2019 and was partnered with K9 Vinnie, a highly trained patrol dog certified by the Oregon Police Canine Association. K9 Vinnie was born in October 2020 in the Czech Republic and began his law enforcement career after being purchased from Tarheel K9 in Sanford, North Carolina. Since joining the team, Vinnie has assisted in numerous patrol operations, using his keen senses and specialized training to help locate suspects, track evidence, and keep our community safe. Follow Vinnie on Instagram: @k9_vinnie_dsco
Deputy Michael Mangin & K9 Ronin
K9 Ronin is a Belgian Malinois and was born in Slovakia in June of 2019. Ronin was acquired by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office when he was 14 months old. Ronin is trained and certified in the State of Oregon as a tracking and apprehension K9. Ronin’s partner, Deputy Michael Mangin, has been with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office since 2012. Follow Ronin on Instagram: @k9_ronin_dcso
Deputy Nautique Slater & K9 Delta
K9 Delta is a Belgian Malinois and was born in Germany in December 2021. Delta was acquired by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office when she was 1.5 years old. Delta is trained and certified in the State of Oregon as a tracking and apprehension K9. Delta’s partner, Deputy Nautique Slater, has been with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office since 2019. Follow Delta on Instagram: @k9_delta_dcso
Detective Pat Hartley & K9 Cache
Please welcome K9 Cache to the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office. K9 Cache is ESD (Electronic Storage Detection) trained to detect hidden electronic storage devices like cell phones, thumb drives, SD cards, etc. Detective Pat Hartley has been with the Sheriff’s Office since 2020, and K9 Cache helps him with investigations into crimes against children and child exploitation. The Sheriff’s Office received K9 Cache after being sponsored by the United States Secret Service, which means that K9 Cache came to us at no cost. Jordan Detection K9 trained K9 Cache and his handler at the National Computer Forensic Institute, located in Hoover, Alabama. You can follow K9 Cache on Instagram: @esd_k9_cache.
Tracking/apprehension dogs, also called patrol dogs, are trained and certified to track and apprehend criminals and conduct searches for non-drug evidence. The dogs use their sensitive sense of smell, excellent hearing and sharp eyesight to track criminals, then use their presence, including barking, to apprehend the criminal. The dogs can also bite a criminal to apprehend them if the situation requires it. Additionally, a dog’s superior running speed allows them to easily catch a criminal who is running away.
The Bloodhound was the first dog specifically bred for superior scent capabilities. The breed can follow scent trails that are either minutes or days old, and has proven so reliable that this type of evidence is accepted in court. The Bloodhound is trained to trail a single person’s unique scent. The Bloodhound and handler can be another resource for deputies, officers, and investigators to utilize during their criminal and non-criminal investigations.
Bloodhound K9’s have the ability to scent discrimination unlike other patrol K9’s and they are not aggressive. The human body sheds approximately 50,000 skin cells an hour. These skin cells, or scurf, are invisible to us, but provide the scent the Bloodhound is trained to follow. A person’s scent/scurf is as unique as their fingerprint. Scent evidence is commonly collected by the K9 handler onto sterile gauze pads from anything the subject has sat on, touched, held, stood, or occupied. This scent article is then presented to the Bloodhound K9, and search for that specific human scent begins.
The assistance a Bloodhound K9 can provide: locating or providing direction of travel of suspects/missing persons, identifying or eliminating suspects with scent evidence obtained at crime scenes, identifying vehicles previously occupied by suspects, and leading deputies, officers, and investigators to areas or residences frequented by the suspect or lost person. The Bloodhound K9’s happy demeanor makes this breed exceptional for locating children.