Larimer County Sheriff Adds New K9

The Larimer County Sheriff's Department has welcomed a new K9 to the unit, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois named Hyde.

He'll get to begin patrolling in June, after undergoing extensive training with his handler during the next few months. According to the Larimer County Sheriff's Office, the specialized nature of the K9 Unit requires handlers to train a minimum of 20 hours a month as a group. Handlers must also conduct a daily training with their dog as well.

Hyde joins a squad of eight other K9s and their handlers. Currently, the LCSO K9 Unit has six dogs assigned to the Patrol Division, whose members are certified in patrol function and narcotic detection, and two dogs assigned to the Jail Division, who are certified in narcotic detection – they have not yet announced where Hyde will be assigned.

Having K9s as a part of the LCSO team helps to increase officer safety and reduce the amount of man-hours spent on calls.