Brevard County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Demonstration in Barefoot Bay

The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office will be hosting a K-9 Demonstration at the field behind Wells Fargo off of Barefoot Bay Circle on Saturday, March 20, 2021, at 10:00 am. Event sponsored by the BFB Dog Lovers Pack. Please do not bring your dogs.

The BCSO K-9 handlers will demonstrate how

• their trained dogs listen to them in obedience 
• they apprehend criminal suspects and release them on command
• they can find lost items or articles in high grass
• they alert on hidden drugs

The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit currently has seventeen K-9 teams that are individually assigned to different precincts throughout the county.

The Sheriff’s Office utilizes canines of several common working breeds. Three labrador retrievers are utilized as single-purpose explosive detection canines. However, they are also cross-trained in tracking to utilize for missing person tracks. The thirteen remaining K-9 teams utilize Dutch Shepherds, German Shepherds, and Belgian Malinois, which are dual-purpose patrol and narcotics detection canines.

The K9 Unit Helps Law Enforcement by

• providing support to preventative patrol units
• performing safety checks, keeping unauthorized persons out of restricted areas
• tracking fleeing subjects
• offering support on the delivery of warrants and high-risk arrests
• searching for narcotics
• searching for explosives
• searching for missing people
• searching facilities more efficient, faster, and safer
• deterring crime and keeping order
• providing a higher level of deputy safety
• reducing resistance during apprehension
• assisting in the control of crowds or riots
• public relations (K9 demonstrations)

K-9 typically retires at around 7 or 8 years of age or when they are no longer physically endure the stresses of the job. After retirement, they are usually adopted by their handlers and live out their retirement interacting with their family.