The Washington State Patrol’s Canine Training Unit instructed two explosive detection canine classes in 2023, with 10 canine teams passing certification. On Tuesday, February 21, 2024, WSP recognized five of the new canine teams who have successfully completed the WSP’s Explosive Detection Canine Handler Course and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Handler Course.
Each handler course is 10 weeks and a total of 400 hours to become a certified team. The TSA training is held in San Antonio, Texas at Lackland Air Force Base. WSP handlers completed the training in Shelton at the WSP Academy.
The training consists of many different search areas, so the dogs are exposed to as many environments and scenarios as possible. It takes time and patience for the handler to learn each dogs’ personality, drives, and character traits to become a proficient team.
Once the canine teams graduate, they are assigned to a region in the Homeland Security Division (HSD), in direct support of the security mission of the Washington State Ferry System.
The canine instructors who teach these classes, have spent countless hours preparing, conducting, and ensuring the success of the canine teams. The instructors are Trooper Josh McKorkle, Trooper Shaun Casavant, Trooper Dominic Ledesma, and Trooper Samantha Metcalf. Without their personal commitment to the canine program, we would not be able to train these new teams and support the canine teams across the state.
Meet the K9 Teams
Trooper Shaun Casavant and K9 Winter
Winter is a six-year-old Belgian Malinois who came to the WSP from Boeing. Winter is on her third handler. Her first handler was Sergeant Matt Ecker until his retirement in 2021. She was then assigned to Trooper Mike Walstad until his promotion in December 2022. This is Trooper Casavant’s second assigned canine, and they certified in May 2023.
Trooper Ronnie Moss and K9 Shadow
Shadow is a three-year-old American Bulldog. Shadow was rescued by The Pit Bull Pen in Benton City, Washington. He is a friendly and well-mannered dog, every handler and instructor immediately loved shadow upon meeting him and no one could believe he hadn’t been adopted. Shadow is very ball motivated and loves to play fetch, but what he loves even more is tug toys he can whip around, hitting himself and anyone standing near him. His handler has the bruises to prove it! His “drop it” will occur at his own pace. When given the command he stops whipping the toy, gives it a few more slow chews, then with a sad and reluctant facial expression he drops it. Shadow immediately proved his worth within the first two weeks of working with his handler by alerting to a firearm in a vehicle in the ferry line. The team certified in December 2023.
This is Trooper Moss’ third WSP canine. He had two narcotic detection dogs, Duke and Cocoa.
Trooper Scott Legler and K9 Mimi
Mimi is a two-year-old Belgian Malinois, purchased from Pacific Coast K9. The best way to describe Mimi is crazy intensity in a little package. Her intensity for the toy, her unwillingness to give it up, and the ensuing battle to get it back after she loses it are exactly what instructors like to see in detection dogs. Mimi kept everyone on their toes, not only in making sure that appendages did not get in the way of Mimi and her toy, but also that Mimi was almost too smart for her own good. Despite everyone’s tricks to make her think that her reward came from the source of the odor and then magically disappeared into the search area, her keen eye and sharp mind quickly figured out the toys were with handlers or behind an object. The team certified in December 2023.
Trooper Nick Hagg and K9 Sammy
Sammy is a two-year-old lab, purchased from Pacific Coast K9. Sammy is a typical happy-go-lucky lab! The instructors were warned by the trainer at Pacific Coast K9 to “brace yourself” when Sammy came back after retrieving her ball. It quickly became unanimous among the instructors that the Seahawks may be able to use her during tackling training. While Sammy’s endless energy, inability to sit still, and difficulty getting her to go any speed besides “all-out” probably made her a more difficult family dog; it served her well during training. Hunting for her toy became her favorite game. The class became adept to picking up after Sammy in search areas as her enthusiasm elapsed manners when it came to knocking things over and tossing things aside as she hunted. The team certified in December 2023.
This is Trooper Hagg’s second dog. In March 2023, Hagg also completed the TSA’s Explosive Detection Handler School in San Antonio, Texas, and certified with K9 Csabi. In the summer of 2023, it was decided the WSP would no longer continue in the TSA’s detection dog program. Since Csabi was such a new and young dog, when Nick entered the WSP handler class, Csabi went to serve in the United States Coast Guard in California.
Trooper Domonic Ledesma and K9 Nacho
Nacho, a one-year-old Belgian Malinois, purchased from Pacific Coast K9, came from Hungary. Anyone who knows about the Belgian Malinois breed will understand the term “Maligator”. Although Nacho displayed everything the instructors were looking for in a detection dog, he was not keen on giving up his toy. He wanted his toy more than anything, and he wasn’t about it to give it up after working so hard for it. Despite many tricks the instructors had up their sleeves, Nacho refused to give up his toy. He would go in to the “Maligator Roll” during many of these toy retrieval sessions. Although Nacho caught onto the job very quickly and was an easy dog to work, students were less than thrilled to attempt toy removal. Nacho became an instructor project and ended up as Trooper Ledesma’s partner. Toy removal becomes a little easier every day. The team certified in February 2024.
This is Trooper Ledesma’s second dog. His first K9 partner was Aridon, and the pair were first certified in 2018.
The other five teams that completed their certification and could not make it to the ceremony last week were Trooper Sydney DelaCruz and K9 Moose, Trooper Erik Anderegg and K9 Dax, Trooper Scott Keffeler and K9 Murphy, Trooper Rich Howson and K9 Gordy, and Trooper Jason Betts with K9 Oakely.
To see all the photos from the graduation ceremony, click the link to the gallery https://wspphotography.zenfolio.com/p79677166.
Watch the video below to learn more about K9 Shadow and his journey to WSP.
InsideOut 