Chelan County Regional Justice Centers new drug-sniffing dog ready for work

Kato, a 3-year-old German shepherd, has officially joined the Chelan County Regional Justice Center as a narcotics-detection dog after being adopted from the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society. He graduated from the Washington State Department of Corrections K9 program alongside his handler, Corrections Deputy Skyler Silsby, who completed 200 hours of training over six weeks. Kato is specifically trained to detect six narcotics: heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, marijuana, and buprenorphine. Chris Sharp, director of the CCRJC, highlighted Silsby's qualifications and expressed optimism about their success, recalling the achievements of previous K9 teams. The K9 program recruits dogs from local shelters for law enforcement roles, demonstrating a commitment to community service and animal welfare.

Kato's previous owners returned him to the shelter due to his energetic nature, but he found a second chance in law enforcement. Jewelie Smith, a behavior coordinator at the humane society, played a crucial role in identifying Kato's potential for the K9 program. This development underscores the positive impacts of collaboration between animal shelters and law enforcement agencies in Washington State.