Chester County is wagging its tail for having one of the nation’s best K-9 academies — and suburban Philly’s only one — after just a year and a half.
The new 400-hour K-9 training course has produced America’s best cadaver dog, second-best explosive detection dog, and a Top 15 narcotics detection dog, according to a Philadelphia Inquirer report by Dan Geringer.
“It took the Chester County Sheriff’s Office and made us high-profile,” said Sheriff Carolyn “Bunny” Welsh.
The success of the K-9 academy is a credit to master K-9 trainer Paul Bryant, a formerly retired Philadelphia K-9 officer, and Lt. Harry McKinney.
“He’s elevated us to another level,” Welsh said of Bryant.
The sheriff’s office now has 10 K-9 dogs, each worth $16,000 to $18,000 — compared to just two a decade ago.
“K-9s never call in sick,” Welsh said. “They’re always happy to see you. They never file a grievance. If I could teach them to drive a car, I wouldn’t need deputies.”
Read more about Chester County’s K-9 academy in the Philadelphia Inquirer here.
