K-9 Unit - Fannin County Sheriff's Office
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Fannin county Sheriff's Office K-9 Unit

Fannin County K-9 Unit consists of handlers / working dog teams, assigned to all divisions of the department.

The Fannin County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit consists of handlers / working dog teams, that can be assigned to all divisions of the department. Teams assigned to the Patrol, Warrants, and the Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad are certified in several areas to include suspect tracking and apprehension, narcotics detection, article search and evidence recovery, and building searches.

About the Dogs
The program utilizes several different dog breeds such as Belgian Malinois, and Labrador Retrievers, all of which possess particular traits that make them especially well-suited for their assigned duties, much like our Vendy and Lucho.

In addition to their regular duties, the K-9 teams are utilized for a variety of public relations and community outreach functions. Each dog is assigned solely to his or her handler and lives with them at their home, creating a strong bond that ensures a solid working partnership between the two.

K-9 Unit

Important Things to Note Regarding K-9 Working Dogs

While these dogs may look like any other pet, realize that they are also highly trained law enforcement tools and must be treated accordingly. There is no need to be fearful of these dogs, but there are a few rules that should be followed to ensure everyone’s safety when interacting with a K-9 team.

  • Never approach a K-9 unless the handler is present and has said that it’s okay to do so
  • Don’t reach inside a vehicle to pet a K-9
  • Make an effort not to startle or surprise a K-9. If you must approach a K-9 team, do so from the front, speak to the handler in a normal tone of voice, and stop a few feet further away than you normally would to hold a conversation
  • Do not make aggressive gestures or movements in the presence of a K-9, even in a joking manner. The dog will not know if you are joking, and most of these dogs are trained to key in on this type of behavior
  • Failure to follow these rules may result in a serious bite

Fannin county K-9 Unit Officers

Handlers. Working Dog Team.

pless

Sgt. Jacob Pless

Sgt. Pless joined the Fannin County Sheriff’s Office in 2008 as a detention officer. He graduated from the Police Academy in 2010 and was later promoted to Sergeant in 2015. Sgt. Pless has attained the title of Drug Recognition Expert by successfully completing the rigorous certification process required to hold such title. Sgt Pless is also a member of our SWAT entry team and is the partner of K9 Vendy.

vendi

Vendy

Vendy is a Belgian Malinois born February 25, 2013, in Slovakia. She was handpicked in the Netherlands by Southern Coast K9’s in April of 2014. Vendy was trained by Southern Coast K9 in Daytona Beach, FL. She is trained in detection of Marijuana, Cocaine, Methamphetamine, and Heroin. Fannin County Sheriff’s Office purchased Vendy in February of 2015. Her handler, Sgt. Jacob Pless, trained with her for two weeks in Daytona. After being certified by the National Narcotic Detector Dog Association Vendy started active duty in March of 2015.

Vendy and Sgt. Pless are certified annually by the National Narcotic Detector Dog Association and have over 450 hours of training together. As of June 2018, Vendy is credited with over 60 drug related arrests most of which would not have been possible without her. Vendy has located approximately 11 pounds of marijuana, 9 pounds of Methamphetamine, 1 pound of heroin, a small amount of cocaine, and over $12,000.00 in cash.

Dustin-and-Lucho

Investigator Dustin Carder

Investigator Carder joined the Fannin County Sheriff’s Office in December 2011, as a detention officer. He graduated from the Police Academy in June of 2013 and worked uniform patrol from June 2013 to March 2017. In March 2017, Carder attended K9 handler school at AMK-9 in Daytona Beach, Florida.  A well deserved promotion to the rank of Corporal was earned in July 2019.  In May of 2022 he was promoted to Investigator where he primarily works drug related cases. 

 

Lucho

Lucho

Lucho is a yellow lab from the Netherlands born July 18, 2015. Lucho was handpicked by AMK-9 and sent for training in Daytona Beach, FL. Lucho was trained in Daytona by the staff of AMK-9. In March 2017 Lucho and Dustin completed two weeks of training and were certified by the American Detection Canine Association in Daytona. They were also certified by The National Narcotic Detector Dog Association. Lucho is certified in detection of Marijuana, Heroin, Cocaine and Methamphetamine.

During Lucho’s first year of service he is credited with the arrest of 21 people, seizing 5 pounds of Marijuana, 4 pounds of Methamphetamine, and $21,000.00.

IF YOU NEED EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE, PLEASE DIAL 911!

If you need Law Enforcement assistance, but it is not an emergency, call 706-632-2044.
If your case can be handled by telephone, your call will be transferred to the appropriate Zone Deputy or Supervisor for assistance.