Walla Walla Stray Dog Gets Second Chance As K-9 Officer In Oregon

A stray dog from Walla Walla is getting a second chance in life as she's now a K-9 Officer serving in the Bend Police Department and she LOVES it.

"Sassy" was a rescue dog from the Blue Mountain Humane Society located in Walla Walla, Washington.

She was brought in as a stray and was never reclaimed. She is believed to be 2-3 years old, and is likely a mix of Australian Kelpie and ...? and now she is serving proudly in the Bend Police Department.

Sassy's handler is Officer Perkins. According to the Bend Police Department, this is their story:

Officer Perkins has been a police officer for over 14 years and is a Force Tactics Instructor with our department. He is also a veteran of the United States Marine Corps.

In October 2019, Officer Perkins was selected as a Drug Detection Dog handler and was certified through the Washington Department of Corrections 240 hour handler school.

 

While at handler school, Officer Perkins met “Sassy”.

 

K9 Sassy is certified through both Washington State Police Canine Association and the Oregon Police Canine Association. This dynamic duo is now back in Bend, and out on the street working with their patrol team. In her time off, K9 Sassy enjoys spending time with her family and relaxing on the couch.

Our drug detection K9's (Sassy and Ladybug) are responsible for locating narcotics in vehicles, closed packages, in buildings, and at crime scenes. They are specially trained to detect specific types of drug odors, and to alert their handler to their presence. As members of the Patrol team, they are able to quickly respond to traffic stops where there may be drugs in a vehicle. All of our K9 teams train weekly, and deploy often to assist members of our department or other Central Oregon agencies.

It's a great warm and fuzzy story and I love reading about animals getting a second chance and Sassy is going to be a great addition to the Bend Police Department.