UTA’s explosives detection dogs aren’t just some of the best in the state – they’re the best in the nation. Police pups Daisy, Bobbie and Kaiya competed in the explosives division of the 28th Annual Las Vegas Metro Police Department K-9 Trials. They were among 15 explosive detection dog teams from the U.S. military, United States and Mexico competing in the event.

Daisy and her handler Officer Tony Brereton took first place, and Bobbie and her handler Sgt. Chad Ziegenhorn took second place. Scores were based on how quickly and thoroughly the dogs searched a fenced-in area and a line of vehicles for hidden scents. The handlers were also graded on how well they were able to understand their dog’s behaviors when they found an item.

Competing in state and national events isn’t just a way to show off the dogs’ skills, Ziegenhorn said.

“We’re able to learn from other handlers and see what they’re doing, so we can pass ideas back and improve our training and deployment,” he said.

The three dogs patrol UTA buses and trains in search of potentially dangerous explosive substances. The dogs practice daily on the UTA system and at a specially designed facility. Ziegenhorn said the dogs have also been asked to assist other police departments in investigations, with Bobbie recently helping the Unified Police Department find a buried gun.

Great job to our UTA Police team. If you see the pups and their handlers on a bus or train, be sure to tell them congrats!

Dog photos: Daisy (Top), Bobbie (Middle), Kaiya (Bottom). Last photo: Officer Southworth, Officer Brereton and Sgt. Ziegenhorn (left, center and right)