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The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department has had a full time continuously operating canine detail since 1979. The detail was started with two canine teams and quickly grew to four teams. The department and the community saw the advantages of the canines and with an increase in deployments the detail eventually grew from four to six canines and in 1996 the detail expanded to the current thirteen patrol canines. Additionally, the department has eleven specialty canines trained in the areas of explosive and narcotics detection.

Since September 11, 2001, the department has assigned six explosive detection canines to the Sacramento International Airport and two canines to the Explosive Ordinance Detail (E.O.D). The eight explosive detection canines are trained in detecting twelve of the most common explosives substances. These dog’s breeds vary ranging from Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois.

The Sheriff’s Narcotics Investigation Division has two canines. The Elk Grove Police Department, one of the Sheriff’s Department contract cities, has one narcotic canine. These canines are used for the detection of illegal narcotics. The black and yellow Labrador Retrievers are the breeds used within the narcotic detail. The canines are trained in locating the four most common illegal narcotics we come across, methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and marijuana.

Out of the twenty-four canines working within the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department the most visible are the thirteen patrol canines. The patrol canines are assigned to the Special Operations Division. The detail has ten handler deputies and two handling sergeants. The training is conducted within the department and is overseen by a training officer/handler. The patrol canines train extensively so they are ready to assist patrol officers, detectives, and SWAT in locating wanted felons. The canines also assist in locating missing persons, narcotics, and evidence. The current patrol canines are German Shepherds imported from Europe. Most of the canines come from either the Czech Republic or Holland. The cost for an untrained canine is $5,500. The canines are normally 16 to 24 months old when we get them. The training is conducted by the department and takes approximately two months to certify a canine. The canines have to pass a P.O.S.T. test to work on the street. After the canine passes his/her certification they are issued a badge with their name and canine number on it.

The canines help us do our job safer and faster than we would be able to do without them. The canines save the department hundreds if not thousands of man-hours every year. The canines freely and willingly go into areas officers are not able to. We rely on the canines to use their special abilities to help us locate suspects, evidence, narcotics or missing people quickly.

All the handlers on the Sheriff’s Department share a strong bond with their canine partners. Every department handler takes his or her canine home. The canines are part of their family. Each handler is issued a canine car for emergency call outs and transportation of the canine. Law Enforcement in general is much more than a job it is a way of life, but being a canine handler is truly a way of life. You bring your family member to work with you each and every day.