The Texas Department of Public Safety is offering an insider’s view of its renowned K-9 training program. This demanding program turns dogs with no prior training into proficient units capable of drug detection, explosive handling, and tracking missions.
AUSTIN, Texas – In an effort to bolster their capabilities, the DPS is broadening its K-9 initiative, deploying adept dogs statewide for tasks involving drug interdiction, explosive detection, and tracking assignments.
Lt. Boyd Lamb, who boasts 19 years with DPS and has spent 12 in the K-9 unit, guided FOX through their Florence, Texas facility. Here, novice dogs are shaped into vital law enforcement contributors.
Beyond border enforcement and drug detection, the DPS K-9 program has also played an important role in search-and-rescue missions. One of our tracking dogs helped locate a 38-year-old special needs man who wandered away in Los Naples Park. He had been missing for four to six hours, was severely dehydrated, and needed immediate help.
“Our K-9 team found him and got him back to his family,” Lt. Lamb recalled. “That moment alone made the entire program worth it.”
K-9 Frio takes in aerial views while adjusting to new heights. (Sarah Alegre)
With ongoing expansion efforts, DPS aims to further integrate K-9 units into operations across Texas, ensuring that law enforcement has highly trained dogs ready for any mission.
