INDIANA – Four K-9 teams from Indiana and Arkansas were recognized for completing the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Division of Law Enforcement’s nine-week K-9 Resource Protection program during a graduation ceremony held Thursday, May 23, on the south lawn of the Indiana Statehouse.
Indiana’s K-9 program started in 1997 with a pilot program of two teams. Because of its effectiveness, the program has grown to 13 K-9 teams throughout the state. At least one K-9 unit serves in the ten Indiana DNR Law Enforcement districts.
The Indiana K-9 program is well respected in the state and consistently recognized as one of the nation’s best. In addition to this year’s graduating team from Arkansas, Indiana has also helped start and train teams from natural resource agencies in Idaho, Kentucky, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, as well as from the African country of Zambia.
All K-9s are trained to locate ginseng, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and waterfowl. Depending on where in Indiana the handler is stationed, they may also be trained to locate other species.
The K-9 program also trains Indiana teams in wildlife detection and article searches, and they especially excel in man-tracking and locating firearms.
K-9 teams have been especially helpful in stopping poaching. They have been used to find concealed game and firearms, shell casings in road hunting and hunting-with-a-spotlight cases, and poachers hiding from officers. They are also used to find lost hunters.
Because of their unique abilities, other state and local law enforcement agencies often request K-9 units for help locating evidence, missing persons, or fleeing felons.
