Bend Police, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office welcome new dogs to the pack

Published 10:30 am Thursday, January 12, 2023

The Bend Police Department and the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office have welcomed new staffers, and these bite.

Harry, a 1-year-old German shepherd hailing from Slovakia, and Doug a Dutch shepherd who turned 2 on Wednesday and who hails from Germany, began training in November and were certified by the Oregon Police Canine Association on Dec. 21, the Bend Police Department said in a press release Tuesday. 

Doug and his handler, officer Jeff Perkins, and Harry and his handler, officer Leigh Anne Boileau, recently concluded the five-month extensive training program where they learned the skills necessary to work together in dangerous and complex situations, the release said.

The two officers and the new police dogs will continue training with other canine teams from the Redmond Police Department, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Forest Service, every two weeks to hone their skills. 

At the sheriff’s office, a 2-year-old German born Belgian Malinois named Christopher and a Slovakian born 2-year-old German shepherd named Vinnie both received four months of basic training and are now certified by the Oregon Police Canine Association, the sheriff’s office said in a release Tuesday.