K9 Unit

In 1998, the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office was successful in securing private grant money to help fund the creation of the Canine Unit. Our unit began with one dual-purpose drug dog named K9 Yago. Our unit is self-funded and runs off of fundraisers and donations. Our yearly fundraisers make it possible to afford our dogs the proper vet care, food and equipment; and our K9 team’s invaluable training and certifications. Our K9 unit operates with a zero budget, which gives an invaluable resource to our citizens without using tax dollars.

Our K9 teams are proud to be certified through NAPWDA (North American Police Working Dog Association). This yearly certification is a test that measures the skill of each K9 team, and must be passed each year to remain in service.

Currently we have four K9 teams. Two dual-purpose bomb dogs, one dual purpose drug dog and one single purpose tracking dog.