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MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCIV) — The Mount Pleasant Police Department has added two new K9 officers to its force, expanding the department’s K9 unit to six dogs.

Police Chief Mark Arnold administered the oath of office Friday to K9 Vaughn and K9 Kee, who are already working alongside their handlers, Sgt. Gary Myers and Senior Police Officer Thomas Plyler.

With the additions, the department’s K9 team now includes five patrol dogs and one dual-purpose dog.

“Our K9 officers are an incredible asset to our agency,” Arnold said. “They find missing people, they find drugs, assist in apprehending dangerous suspects; their value and importance cannot be overstated.”

Vaughn is a 1 1/2-year-old male Belgian Malinois patrol dog trained for tracking, article searches, suspect apprehension, building searches and narcotics detection.

Kee is a nearly 2-year-old female Belgian Malinois who serves as the department’s dual-purpose dog, specializing in tracking and narcotics detection.

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RICHMOND COUNTY — A retired Richmond County Sheriff’s Office K9 who spent a decade assisting with criminal investigations and search-and-rescue efforts has died.

The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office announced the passing of 832 Colonel Tom Parker, known as “Parker,” a bloodhound who served the agency alongside his handler, Detective Paul McDole.

According to the sheriff’s office, Parker was born April 25, 2015, and arrived in Richmond County in October 2015 to begin training with McDole. After completing his training, Parker became certified through 832 Deputy Dogs, the organization that donated him to the Sheriff’s Office.

During his career, Parker assisted with numerous cases, including criminal investigations and search-and-rescue deployments. The sheriff’s office said one of his first cases involved locating a missing juvenile in Scotland County.

Bloodhounds are known for their strong sense of smell and are commonly used in tracking and search-and-rescue operations. The sheriff’s office said Parker also completed additional training with the FBI, further developing his tracking abilities.

In addition to serving Richmond County, Parker assisted surrounding counties when requested, according to the sheriff’s office.

Parker retired from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office in 2025 and continued living with McDole until his death Wednesday, July 15, 2026.

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When a police K‑9 is injured in the line of duty, minutes matter. Hemorrhage, heat injury, and ballistic trauma can progress rapidly, and definitive veterinary trauma care may be miles from the scene. For years, Tennessee agencies relied on patrol vehicles to rush injured K‑9s to care—an approach shaped by distance, traffic, terrain, and luck.

A New Era for Tennessee’s Working Dogs

LIFE FORCE Air Medical, operated by Erlanger Health System in Chattanooga, has launched Tennessee’s first K‑9 Transport Pilot Program, a formal system that allows flight crews to stabilize and transport injured working dogs under medical direction. According to Stacy Prater, LIFE FORCE’s regional EMS liaison/outreach education coordinator and K‑9 Transport Program coordinator, the program is limited to “working dogs”—including bomb, drug, police, cadaver, and search‑and‑rescue dogs—not pets or general animal transport. It places LIFE FORCE among a small but growing group of air‑medical services developing structured, protocol‑driven K‑9 transport capabilities.

Legal Clarity for K‑9 EMS

The timing is significant. Tennessee’s K‑9 Emergency Medical Care and Transport Act, which took effect April 16, 2026, explicitly authorizes EMS and air‑medical agencies to treat and transport injured police dogs when no human patient requires care. The law gives EMS personnel long‑needed clarity in an area that previously sat between veterinary practice rules and EMS scope of practice.

Sponsored by Sen. Bo Watson and Rep. Michele Reneau, the act was shaped by years of inconsistent practice and several high‑profile K‑9 deaths in which transport delays were a concern. Before the law passed, EMS personnel often hesitated to treat or transport injured K‑9s because of uncertainty about liability and veterinary practice restrictions.

The statute authorizes emergency stabilization of injured police K‑9s, permits ground or air transport when no human patient requires care, provides good‑faith immunity for EMS personnel, defines eligible dogs as “canine first responders,” and directs the Tennessee EMS Board and Veterinary Board to develop statewide training and oversight rules.

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Harry and Whitney have qualified as drugs detection dogs and will play a vital role in supporting frontline policing. While they are primarily based in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, they are also part of the Joint Operations Unit (JOU), a collaborative policing team serving Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and Thames Valley. Their role means they can be deployed across the wider region whenever required.

Having completed an intensive training programme, the pair are now assisting officers in identifying and disrupting illegal drug activity. Their work includes supporting vehicle stops, executing search warrants and taking part in community policing operations, helping to remove drugs from the streets and strengthen enforcement against those involved in drug supply.

Inspector Andy Mooge praised the new additions to the police dog team, saying: “Harry and Whitney have shown fantastic potential throughout their training. Their deployment will significantly enhance our ability to detect drugs and support operations across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Police dogs are an invaluable asset, and we are delighted to welcome them to the team.”

The introduction of Harry and Whitney further strengthens policing capabilities across the region, with specialist detection dogs continuing to play a crucial role in tackling organised crime, disrupting the supply of illegal drugs and helping to keep communities safe.

In the first six months of 2026, National Police canine units helped locate 309 people, including 177 children. This was stated in response to an inquiry LIGA.net…said Andrii Niebytov, Deputy Head of the National Police and Chief of the Criminal Police.

For comparison, in 2025, canine units helped locate 465 people, 228 of whom were children.

Service dogs are most frequently deployed to search for children who have become lost or run away from home, elderly people who have lost their way in the forest, individuals with memory impairments, and people requiring constant care due to their health condition.

As Skagit County Volunteer Search and Rescue marks 60 years of service, volunteers from all six of the organization’s specialized teams recently came together for a joint training exercise designed to prepare them for the next search and rescue mission.

The nonprofit is entirely volunteer-run, with about 75 members serving on its six teams: search dogs, mountain rescue, ground rescue, and three marine and water rescue teams.

“We don’t train together, we usually just see each other out on rescues,” said Todd Power, president of Skagit Ground Search and Rescue. “We could actually train together and get to know the people a little bit more and see how the other teams work.”

The training scenario, held at Lighthouse Point Wednesday near Deception Pass, was based on an actual search and rescue call.

“Every time we go out on a search, we learn something new,” Power said. “It’s really nice to be able to go back and train and try to hone our skills a little bit better so that we do better next time.”

Volunteers pretended to be three lost hikers while K9 teams searched the trails for them.

After locating one of the hikers on a steep bluff, the mountain rescue team lowered the patient to the beach, where marine crews completed the rescue by boat.

Sergeant Paul Wolfe of the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office, who oversees the county’s search and rescue operations, said the layered scenario was rare.

“That’s pretty unique when you get people on the ground and also a crossover with the water and some steep terrain,” Wolfe said.

At the same time, members of the Skagit Technical Water Rescue team flipped kayaks in the bay so marine crews could practice rescuing people from the water.

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PLACER COUNTY, Calif. — The Placer County Sheriff’s Office has welcomed four new K-9 teams after the handlers and dogs completed months of specialized training together.

The Sheriff’s Office said each handler earned certification alongside a canine partner.

“These dogs live at home with their handlers, spending every day together to build the trust, communication and teamwork that are critical on the job,” the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post. “That bond helps them work as one when it matters most.”

K-9 Ulfr, a 2-year-old German shepherd from Slovakia, was assigned to serve the North Lake Tahoe area. He is certified in patrol duties, including apprehension and narcotics detection, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Off duty, Ulfr enjoys playing soccer.

“He’s been keeping a close eye on all the World Cup excitement,” officials said.

Dax, an 18-month-old Belgian Malinois from Poland , is certified in patrol duties, including apprehension and suspect searches, as well as firearms and ammunition detection.

The Sheriff’s Office said Dax is known for doing parkour and finding any excuse to sprint at full speed.

“He’s also officially declared naps a crime, with violators sentenced to endless zoomies and repeated requests to play fetch,” the Sheriff’s Office said.

K-9 Archer, an 18-month-old Belgian Malinois from the Netherlands , is certified in narcotics detection and apprehension.

“When he’s off duty, Archer enjoys long walks on the beach and sipping tropical umbrella drinks … okay maybe not the last part, but he does really love long walks and has a deeply serious commitment to his tennis ball,” the Sheriff’s Office said.

Jimmy, an 18-month-old German shepherd-Belgian Malinois mix from Europe , is certified in apprehension and the detection of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and fentanyl.

When off duty, Jimmy enjoys neighborhood walks and checking in with his neighbors, depuities said.

“His other favorite pastime? Playing tug-of-war with his ball on a rope,” the Sheriff’s Office said.

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FORT GORDON, Ga (WJBF) A key component of our national security starts here, at the training yard at Fort Gordon.

A place where Segal, and his fellow K9’s  put in the work.

“He is an explosives detection dog,” Specialist Levi Jackson says. “So he’s able to find multiple different types of military, commercial grade explosives.”

And when he sniffs something out, Segal just sits.  A signal of success to his handler.

Specialist Jackson:

“All explosives dogs are trained to do a passive response, which is either a down, a sit, or a stop and stare.”

Segal really is a sight to behold.  90-pounds of pure strength, intelligence and agility.

No need for treats. Verbal markers let him know he’s done well.

Specialist Jackson:

“Yes! and, boom,  he gets the toy. And so the rewards for the dog is play time.”

“But these dogs are capable of so much more than detection. There’s also a lot of bite training, so that skillset is there if the situation warrants.”

Specialist Jackson:

“Their is a level of threat to where we send our dog in. The dog is right below lethal-force.  And so if it comes to the situation where somebody has done horrific things, we send our dogs.

So if a bad guy is trying to hide, this is probably the last sight he’ll see before he’s caught.

Military Working Dogs  can be get called into service on short notice.

Captain Richard Wilson

Commander, 222nd MP Detachment:

“So that can be United States Secret Service Missions.  Support of POTUS, president of the United States. As well as going deployed into the CENTCOM theatre.

And that’s when all this training pays off.

“It’s not if something’s going to happen, but when.  So that’s our standard. I always like to say, the Latin phrase of Mox Nox, which is soon it will be night, which means that our guys have to be ready at all times.”

They are strong. They are war-ready. They are soldiers and we are grateful.   But above all else, they’re somebody’s best friend.

Specialist Jackson:

“If I could take Segal home with me, I absolutely would. Me and him can lay down in the yard, and just cuddle up and hang out. But then also I have to realize, he is my job and equipment. So I have to take care of him to the highest level.”

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The City of Elsmere Police Department welcomed Nova and Officer Jesse Wenning at Tuesday night’s meeting as a new K9 unit sponsored by Kenton County’s Commonwealth Attorney Rob Sanders.

At the meeting, Sanders presented the new duo to the Elsmere City Council, stating the continuation of bringing in and training new K9 units beyond the detection of medical marijuana. The unit will be serving the city of Elsmere but will also be an available resource for the Kenton County region.

“Nova is the most recent canine that my office used asset forfeiture funds, or money that we seized and forfeited from convicted drug dealers, to purchase a canine for one of our local police departments,” Sanders said.

In 2023, Kentucky legalized medical marijuana under Senate Bill 47, which officially took effect in January 2025.

Nova is the newest addition to the new training initiative to leave out marijuana detection from dog training so as to not arrest or cite medical marijuana users. She is the sixth K9 unit the Kenton County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office has funded for the Kenton County region.

According to National Geographic, while dogs can be retrained to no longer alert for marijuana, there are potential risks and legal factors that can arise. If marijuana is mixed in with another drug, such as cocaine or heroin, the dog may not give an alert. Even if the dog is retrained, the scent would continue to linger in the air, potentially leading to no-cause searches.

“She’s off to a great start,” Wenning said. “Very fast learner and faster than Onyx started picking things up so a couple of months until we’re rocking and rolling.”

Wenning recently retired his previous K9 companion, Onyx, to his family home and has been training with Nova for over three months. The duo is now a certified tracking team, apprehension team and narcotics detection team.

“I know that she’ll be beneficial, not only to our city, but to other cities where she is needed,” said Council Member Gloria Grubbs.

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Susan Bahary’s artistic endeavors have endured decades and inspired countless individuals to marvel at both her sculpting work, along with the military themes from which they are derived.

The San Francisco-based artist, along with bipartisan lawmakers in Congress, are at the forefront of the United States’ first national monument honoring the contributions of service animals and their handlers—dating from the era of George Washington, all the way to the present. It’s also a broader tribute to military service members, law enforcement, search and rescue, first responders, disability assistance, and others that have endured and maintained that unique human-animal bond.

The project involves no public tax dollars. Instead, Bahary said it is a 100% philanthropic effort that could ultimately require $25 million for completion.

Efforts recently gained steam. On July 1, Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) introduced the National Service Animals Monument Location Act to authorize the monument’s placement on the National Mall Reserve, described by proponents as the nation’s most distinguished location for works of exceptional and enduring national importance.

Kiggans, co-chair of the Working Dog Caucus, thanked Rep. Don Davis (D-N.C.), for his partnership and for helping bring this legislation to the forefront.

“I have the highest admiration for the animals that have faithfully served alongside our men and women in uniform,” Kiggans said in a statement. “From the horses that proved essential in military strategy to the nearly 6,000 canines that continue to play a role in drug interdiction and bomb detection, their roles have made our service members safe.”

The legislation is endorsed by the National Service Animals Monument, Paws for Purple Hearts, Canine Companions, America’s VetDogs, Guide Dog Foundation and US War Dogs Association.

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