KATY MAGAZINE NEWS
January 26, 2021
By Natalie Cook Clark
Katy’s police dogs are trained and ready to keep the city and its residents safe.
Duco, Blitz, and Gas are officers with the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office. They are just three of the incredible police dogs that serve the Katy community. Photo credit: FBCSO
These Katy police dogs aren’t your typical cuddly puppies. They can scale 10-foot fences, detect narcotics hidden in obscure places, and reach a speed of 40 mph. They are highly trained officers and get treated with the same care and respect as their human counterparts.
“These dogs do not choose us, we choose them,” says Deputy Brian Eyring, Harris County Precinct 5 K9 Officer and trainer for the K9 unit. “They basically dedicate the good part of their lives to serving and protecting their human counterparts.”
Katy is home to several law enforcement agencies and many working dog officers. Get to know some of Katy’s hardworking and fun-loving K9s.
Harris County Constable’s Office, Precinct 5
Harris County Constable’s Office, Precinct 5 currently has four K9 Officers and police dogs. They are currently looking to hire one more team to bring their dog count to five by April.
“This is the absolute best of law enforcement,” says Deputy Brian Eyring of Harris County Precinct 5. He is also the trainer for the agency’s K9s.
Name: Biko
Age: 7
Breed: German Shepherd/ Belgian Malinois Mix
Job: Dual purpose, narcotics dog
Handler: Deputy Eyring
Fun Fact: He likes to sleep on top of his doghouse.
Name: Tiger
Age: 2 ½
Breed: German Shepherd/ Belgian Malinois Mix
Handler: Deputy Benton
Fun Fact: Tiger loves to bark.
Biko and Tiger. Photo courtesy: Deputy Eyring
Name: Max
Age: 5 years
Breed: Belgian Malinois
Handler: Deputy Patin
Fun Fact: Max likes hanging out at his handler’s pool.
Name: Drift
Age: 3
Breed: German Shepherd/ Belgian Malinois Mix
Handler: Sgt. McILwain
Fun Fact: He lives with retired Harris County K9 Officer, Nick.
Max and Drift. Photo courtesy: Deputy Eyring
While they are working dogs, they play hard and enjoy their time off.
“Tiger likes to hang out with his two civilian dog friends, a golden retriever and a cattle dog,” says Deputy Eyring.
While Biko chases chickens on Deputy Eyring’s property, Max is known to lounge around his handler’s pool. These dogs enjoy their time off, but they know when it’s time to work.
“Biko howls every time I turn on the siren,” says Deputy Eyring.
Recently, rookie Tiger showed just how skilled these dogs are.
“Tiger had just graduated from class and we used him in a search warrant at a house,” says Deputy Eyring. “He found over $6,000 cash and 11 kilos of narcotics. He hadn’t even been on the street a week and already paid for himself.”
Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office
The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office has three police dogs among their ranks. On average a FBCSO Patrol K9 will apprehend over 80 criminals and help locate more than 20 missing children throughout their career.
“They love being on the job because they know there’s a reward for doing good work, says Jessica Reyes, Public Information Officer for FBCSO.
Name: Duco
Age: 7
Breed: Belgian Malinois
Job: Patrol Division
Name: Blitz
Age: 6
Breed: Belgian Malinois
Job: Patrol Division
Name: Gaz
Age: 2
Breed: Belgian Malinois
Job: Narcotics Task Force
Watch the dogs in action.
“All the dogs are given commands in Dutch, not English, and also respond to non-verbal commands,” says Reyes. “They can reach speeds of up to 40 mph and are capable of vertical leaps as high as 10 feet.”
Fulshear Police Department
The Fulshear Police Department has one K9 Officer team, Officer Jennifer Edmonds and K9 Blue. Their partnership is still in its early stages. Before Blue, Officer Edmunds worked for eight years with K9 Belle, who passed away last year.
Name: Blue
Age: 3
Breed: Belgian Tervuren
Job: Dual purpose, narcotics and patrol
Fun Fact: He loves his ball more than anything.
Like all police dogs, Blue came to the department trained, but training is an ongoing process for him, and all working dogs like him.
“We still train a lot on his days off,” says Officer Edmonds. “We go on walks and socialize.”
Like all of the police dogs in Katy, Blue lives with his handler and plays with her two young children and standard poodle.
Police dogs are trained differently than house pets.
“What’s good behavior and bad behavior is different,” says Officer Edmonds. “I don’t want him to have hesitations. We overlook things you would expect from your dog like getting on the couch or jumping on a counter.”
Big Community Role
Katy police dogs are a big part of the local law enforcement agencies. These are just some that serve our area.
“Their work is essential to the community,” says Reyes.
Last year Harris County Precinct 5 laid to rest one of their retired K9s, Sunny. The chocolate Labrador had served the agency for 10 years as a single-purpose narcotics dog. Sunny was responsible for getting countless illegal drugs out of Katy neighborhoods.
“It is only right to honor their dedication and service just like we would any other deputy,” says Deputy Eyring.
To these law enforcement agencies, these dogs are co-officers and companions. They serve all and contribute to making Katy a better and safer place.
“Ultimately their job has to be fun,” says Officer Edmunds.
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