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April 7, 2021
K9 police dog helps keep Bandera County safe
By Jessica Nohealapa’ahi
The Bandera Prophet
Undoubtedly the cutest member of the Bandera County Sheriff’s Office, K9 Police Dog Zeus is also an integral soldier in the fight against crime.
Since joining the department in December 2019, Zeus has assisted on numerous investigations and searches, locating illegal and dangerous drugs, including methamphetamines, narcotics and packaging materials.
“He comes out a lot. He also works for neighboring counties,” Chief Deputy Matt King said. “He’s used quite a bit.”
K9s are commissioned by law enforcement agencies nationwide to help officers on search and rescue missions, apprehend suspects and detect various drugs, explosives and other crime scene evidence. According to the American Kennel Club, dogs have 225 million scent receptors in their noses, as opposed to a human’s 5 million.
“Perhaps the most popular discipline of the police dog is suspect apprehension. Police dogs are trained to bite dangerous suspects and hold them hostage,” the AKC states. “In many situations, they are the first ones to put their lives on the line and go in against an armed suspect to protect their human partners.”
Working alongside his handler Investigator Jerry Johnson and officers in the Criminal Investigations Division, Zeus is narcotics certified with the National Narcotics Detection Dog Association and the Hill Country Dog Center in Pipe Creek. Both he and Johnson, a 21-year veteran with the Bandera County Sheriff’s Office, attend and complete annual training courses.
Since joining the department in December 2019, Zeus has assisted on numerous investigations and searches, locating illegal and dangerous drugs, including methamphetamines, narcotics and packaging materials.
“He comes out a lot. He also works for neighboring counties,” Chief Deputy Matt King said. “He’s used quite a bit.”
K9s are commissioned by law enforcement agencies nationwide to help officers on search and rescue missions, apprehend suspects and detect various drugs, explosives and other crime scene evidence. According to the American Kennel Club, dogs have 225 million scent receptors in their noses, as opposed to a human’s 5 million.
“Perhaps the most popular discipline of the police dog is suspect apprehension. Police dogs are trained to bite dangerous suspects and hold them hostage,” the AKC states. “In many situations, they are the first ones to put their lives on the line and go in against an armed suspect to protect their human partners.”
Working alongside his handler Investigator Jerry Johnson and officers in the Criminal Investigations Division, Zeus is narcotics certified with the National Narcotics Detection Dog Association and the Hill Country Dog Center in Pipe Creek. Both he and Johnson, a 21-year veteran with the Bandera County Sheriff’s Office, attend and complete annual training courses.