Blaze, an 18-month-old Labrador retriever, is Carroll County’s newest police officer. He will work under the supervision of handler Master Deputy Max Chassagne, 25, with the sheriff’s office.
Several years ago, the county sheriff’s office increased its K-9 unit to include six dogs and their handlers, which has improved the county’s ability to search for narcotics and track missing individuals, Sherriff James DeWees said.
“That was to keep up with the trends that we were seeing — with drugs coming into the county, fentanyl, heroin — just to add more canines to the program, because they’re so incredibly effective,” DeWees said.
Carroll’s K-9 administrator, Lt. Dustin Boone, 38, said the decision to expand the unit was made about four years ago amid a shift in law enforcement.
Four of the department’s six canines, including Blaze, are trained and certified in narcotics search tactics and to track suspects and find missing children, older adults, and individuals with disabilities. One dog is also trained to assist in SWAT operations, and another is trained to detect explosives and generally works at the courthouse. DeWees said the county has moved away from “traditional canines” known for apprehending suspects.
Three Labradors, one German shepherd, one Belgian Malinois, and one Malinois-shepherd mix work for the sheriff’s office. Boone said the unit’s current size is a sweet spot for Carroll County, because it allows for a narcotics and tracking dog to be available at all hours.
“We like the Labs,” DeWees said, “they’re friendlier dogs. They have an extremely keen sense of smell. They’re very good for narcotics detection, and so we find a lot more success with them, but we’re still diverse with the dogs that we have.”
The Taneytown Police Department added its first canine earlier this year , a black Labrador retriever named Trigger, to enhance the city’s drug enforcement capabilities, and to find missing persons and engage with community members.
A police officer may legally conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle deemed suspicious, which may include having a dog brought to the scene to alert officers to the presence of illegal substances. Police dogs are trained to alert their handlers to the presence of drugs, and handlers are trained to read the dog and recognize the signal. A K-9 alert establishes probable cause, which police may use to detain a suspect while a vehicle is being searched. Police must conclude a traffic stop in a “reasonable amount of time,” a legal term taken to mean 15 to 20 minutes.
Adding Blaze to the force cost the county $13,000, Boone said, which includes training and pet supplies such as toys and a leash. The county contracted with Iron Rose K9 to procure the dog from Washington State.
The department spends around $9,000 each year to maintain a well-trained K-9 unit, Boone said, some of which is defrayed by donations. The unit collectively completes around 1,600 hours of training each year, including monthly training and annual re-certification.
“This is not a cheap thing, to put a K-9 team out there and to keep it running annually,” DeWees said. “It’s not very cheap at all, but what you get at the end of it is worthwhile, not only for our narcotics detection, but for finding lost people or finding evidence in crimes that the human nose can’t see or detect, is invaluable.”
On June 17, Chassagne and Blaze graduated from a six-week canine specific training academy with a national certification from the American Working Dog Association. Boone said the course is physically demanding and academically challenging.
“It’s definitely a lot of work,” Chassagne said, “and you don’t realize how much it is until you get into it.”
Despite the rigorous training, Boone said the role of handler is coveted among deputies. When a position opens, applicants must pass a fitness test designed to assess an officer’s ability to carry a canine to safety in case the dog has a medical emergency and perform well in a “rigorous” 30-minute interview. Ten deputies applied to be Blaze’s handler.
Chassagne said he interviewed to be a handler last year and was not selected but was successful this year after giving it more effort.
Boone said Chassagne has the drive, energy, and soft skills to excel in the role of handler.
“The biggest thing is compassion, care and empathy,” Boone said, “because that canine is an extension of the handler, and in order to be a successful team, they got to have that care, compassion and empathy towards the dog.”
Chassagne said the scope of his job remained largely the same when he got Blaze, with a few added responsibilities, but his family grew by one dog. The deputy lives with his wife, 10-month-old baby, 12-year-old pit bull-rottweiler mix named Max and 7-year-old Chihuahua named Dewey.
“Blaze probably makes my baby laugh as much as he can, whenever they do get to interact on walks or just playing in the living room,” Chassagne said, “and he’s the same way with my wife. If she’s sitting on the couch watching TV, Blaze doesn’t mind popping right up with her and snuggling up with her the same way he snuggled up with me. He thinks he’s a lap dog, but he’s little bigger than that.”
Blaze is obedient but loves to play with toys and with Max, Chassagne said.
“It’s definitely a very humbling experience trying to teach another living being how to do precise work,” Chassagne said.
“Being a canine handler is unlike any other job in law enforcement,” DeWees said.
Blaze has been called to scan vehicles four times and discovered narcotics three times since joining the force, Chassagne said.
The K-9 unit was deployed more than 350 times in 2023 and appeared in more than 20 demonstrations for the community. The canine team is a great tool for community engagement, Boone said, and the number of demonstrations has increased in recent years. Anyone interested in learning more or scheduling a demonstration may email Boone: dboone@carrollcountymd.gov
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