The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit is assigned to the Patrol Division and to routine and general patrol functions, including answering general calls for service. The K-9 Unit has the capability and responsibility to deploy to any scene in which a K-9 Team is needed throughout Thurston County. The primary duty of our K-9 Teams is to track criminals who flee and hide from law enforcement officers within Thurston County. All the teams are single disciplined dogs trained in tracking human odor, finding discarded evidence or property, searching buildings and confined areas, as well as handler/deputy protection work.

Our canines are assigned to one specific handler and are with that handler 24/7. When the handler goes home, his canine partner goes with him. The canines become a part of the handler’s family, and a strong bond with that handler is developed. Our K-9 Teams are always on call and have the obligation to be called out at a moment's notice. Because of that, they need to have a supportive family. The K-9 Unit is comprised of three K-9 Teams:

SERGEANT BAGBY & K-9 IGO

 

Sergeant Bagby has been a law enforcement officer since 2011 and began his K9 career in July 2016 when he was partnered with K9 Jaxx. Jaxx was an American-bred German Shepherd who served alongside Sergeant Bagby for several years and played an important role in the beginning of his K9 career.

Sergeant Bagby is the Sergeant and Trainer for the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit. He is currently partnered with his second K9, Igo, a German Shepherd born June 14, 2020. Together, they serve in patrol operations and regularly train in tracking, detection, apprehension, and other K9 disciplines.

In his role as Sergeant and K9 Trainer, Sergeant Bagby is responsible for overseeing the K9 Unit and helping develop and maintain the training and operational standards of the agency’s K9 teams

DEPUTY PEARSALL & K-9 MAC

 

Deputy Pearsall has been a law enforcement officer since 2015 and began his K9 career in 2019 while working for a previous agency. In 2024, he lateraled to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office and was selected as a K9 handler later that same year.

 

Deputy Pearsall is currently partnered with K9 Mac, a German Shepherd born October 15, 2021. Together, they serve in patrol operations and regularly train in tracking, apprehension, and other K9 disciplines.

Deputy Pearsall brings his previous K9 experience to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit and continues to develop his partnership with Mac through ongoing training and operational experience.

DEPUTY BRANIFF & K-9 ASHER

 

Deputy Braniff has been a law enforcement officer since 2021 and lateraled to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office in 2024. In 2025, he was selected to become a K9 handler and has served in that role since.

Deputy Braniff is partnered with K9 Asher, a patrol K9 born October 30, 2022. Together, they serve the citizens of Thurston County through patrol operations and ongoing training in tracking, apprehension, and other K9 disciplines.

Asher lives with Deputy Braniff and is an active member of the family as well as a dedicated working partner. He is always eager to assist Deputy Braniff and the citizens of Thurston County in locating and apprehending suspects.

A German Shepherd is not only an extremely intelligent canine, but they have a unique ability to smell things that humans cannot even begin to comprehend. Every person loses thousands of skin particles every second and the odor those particles emit are just as unique to an individual person as a fingerprint or DNA. Our German Shepherds detect that unique odor of a human being and will track that person based on that unique smell when that person flees.

The past philosophy of Canine Units was to have the biggest, “baddest”, and meanest canines’ agencies could find. Our philosophy has changed and evolved quite drastically. Now we get smaller, more social canines, and disciplined training, which has been the key to our program’s huge success. Our canines are trained to a high level of discipline and proficiency which replaces the old philosophy.

In order for a K-9 Team to be certified through the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) and the Washington State Police Canine Association (WSPCA) the K-9 Team must complete a minimum of 400 hours of basic training which encompasses obedience, protection, locating evidence, tracking, building searches, and area searches. Once the handler and canine complete the basic certification training and pass the certification test, they can perform the duties of patrol canine teams in the state of Washington. Canines start their career at age 2 years old or older and end their career when they are no longer physically fit to perform the duties and tasks of being a working canine, usually between 7 and 9 years old. Our K-9 Teams participate and train an average of 20 hours per month to advance their skills and proficiency. They also participate in several public education and demonstration events throughout the year. We all look forward to seeing you out there and introducing you to our teams. Our K-9 Unit prides itself on being a no or low-cost program to Thurston County and the taxpayers. With shrinking budgets, cost reduction, and employee layoffs (including deputies), the canine program runs largely on the donations our handlers have solicited and raised, to cover all the costs associated. The donations cover the training, equipment, upkeep and food for our canines.

Thurston County K-9 Unit Foundation

The Thurston County K-9 Unit Foundation has partnered with the Thurston County Sheriff's Office (TCSO) to receive donations for the Sheriff's Office’s K-9 Unit. The Thurston County K-9 Unit Foundation is a non-profit organization, a 501(c)3 and their Tax ID number is 88-3344071.

Mail a Donation:

Those wishing to make donations for the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit can do so by mailing the donation to the Thurston County K-9 Unit Foundation in care of the Thurston County Sheriff's Office, 1111 Israel Road SW, Tumwater, WA. 98501-6512. Please address the check payable to Thurston County K-9 Unit Foundation.

 

Providing a Donation Online:

Donors can also contribute online via Venmo at this link: https://venmo.com/u/tck9unitfoundation 

 

Providing a Donation in Person:

You may also provide a donation at the Thurston County Sheriff's Office in person at 1111 Israel Road SW, Tumwater, WA.

 

Thurston County K-9 Unit Foundation

The Thurston County K-9 Unit Foundation is a non-profit, volunteer community group with a goal to support the K-9s working for the Thurston County Sheriff's Office. Funds may be used for the K-9s’ health, nutrition, training, and equipment.

 

For more information about the K-9s, please visit the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office’s K-9 Unit Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/share/1PL7iLG366/?mibextid=wwXIfr