After more than a decade, SCSO K9 units are back on patrol

This year, Sheridan County Sheriff Levi Dominguez and his team brought back the K9 unit after more than a decade. 

The Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) has not employed a K9 unit for over a decade. With a K9 unit serving on the Wyoming Highway Patrol and another serving the Sheridan Police Department, the Sheriff’s Office took advantage of their partnerships and would utilize the fellow departments’ K9 units when needed. 

During an appearance on Sheridan Media’s Public Pulse, Sheriff Dominguez spoke on why his office made the decision to take the program out of mothballs. 

Sheriff L. Dominguez  

Dominguez said during the resurrection of the K9 program, Corporal Doug Sanders served a critical role. Sanders gathered information and made a presentation to the Sheriff to demonstrate the benefits of bringing a K9 unit back onto the SCSO team. 

Sheriff L. Dominguez  

On top of the benefits of tracking and drug detection, K9 units can deescalate a potentially life-threatening situation by simply being seen and heard by a suspect.

The Sheriff feels these K9 units have only just begun to show their potential locally and will continue to serve the Sheridan County community well into the future. 

Sheriff L. Dominguez  

According to the Sheriff, the K9 units have already assisted greatly in finding two children during the recent cold weather.