This K9 Nabbed Three Criminals in a Record 90 Minutes

Police dogs are a rare breed. The K9 unit has proven invaluable through time.

One special K9 named Spencer — who has worked for The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon for almost six years — has something to bark about after nabbing three criminals in a record 90 minutes.

Spencer — a 9-year-old Dutch Shepherd — serves on the force with his handler Sgt. Don Boone. His record-breaking captures began when he started his duties on the morning of March 19. Spencer tracked down and captured a stolen-vehicle suspect — Austin J. Kollas. After a short pursuit, Kollas was captured by Spencer while trying to run from deputies.

Almost an hour later, Spencer located Timothy C. Elmore — wanted on parole-violation charges — who was hiding from Gladstone Police Department officers. Elmore thought he could hide in a trailer, but Spencer outsmarted him.

Just nine minutes later, K9 Spencer tracked down and captured Lonnette M. Denison, who had valid warrants for her arrest on charges ranging from theft to possession of a controlled substance. She ran from an apartment in Gladstone and attempted to hide in a thick holly bush — but Spencer located her.

“It’s a rare feat for a Sheriff’s Office K9 to get that number of captures in such a short time frame,” Sgt. Boone said in a statement. Boone, a K9 handler for approximately 20 years, said he and Spencer set a new record, “three in 90 minutes.”

K9 Spencer got rewarded with a little play time and a nice healthy stick for doing his duty. However, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office Twitter account thought he deserved a bigger treat for his efforts. They tweeted, #GetThatDogASteak.

NEWS RELEASE: Sheriff's Office #K9 Spencer scores 'hat trick’ — 3 captures in 90 minutes: https://t.co/QPgHy2e4ip#GetThatDogASteak pic.twitter.com/sSCuHTxjnD

— Clackamas Sheriff (@ClackCoSheriff) March 21, 2017

K9 Spencer goes viral.

In B-roll footage provided by the Clackamas County Sherriff’s Office, you can see Sgt. Boone interact with Spencer. He enthusiastically wags his tail until a stick is thrown for him to retrieve it. Any dog would do the same — except this one also catches criminals.

Boone said in the video, “It’s pretty rare for the dog team to capture a lot of people during the shift.”

At the Clackamas County Sheriff’s office, the dog and their handler — an officer with at least five years experience on the job — must complete a six-week school program. The courses at this school include how to deploy for and find suspects safely — through exercises that include daily obedience with scenario-based activities exposing the dogs to new and difficult situations. Once they graduate, they spend their time training, responding to calls, and searching for suspects.

The K9 Unit in Clackamas also spends time at public demonstrations at schools, fairs, and community events. Two of their dogs, Mik and Nero, have become famous as they are featured in their own series of comic books.

As for K9 Spencer, it’s unlikely this K9 plans to retire any time soon. Sgt. Boone said in a statement, “Spencer is almost 10 years old but he’s still doing it and he loves his job. It’s his favorite place and he’d rather be nowhere than the back of that patrol car.”