The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit is comprised of 17 highly trained working dogs dedicated to serving and protecting our community.
Under the leadership of Sgt. Chrystal Bozard (Patrol) and Sgt. Robert Lenzo (Detention), the unit handles a wide range of responsibilities, including patrol operations, contraband detection, tracking, and community outreach.

To meet these diverse needs, the unit utilizes several breeds, including Belgian Malinois, German Shepherds, Dutch Shepherds, German Shorthaired Pointers, a Labrador Retriever, and Bloodhounds.

Many of our K9s are dual-purpose, meaning they are trained to both apprehend high-risk suspects and detect illegal narcotics or explosives.

In addition, the unit includes single-purpose K9s trained specifically to locate narcotics or electronic devices. These dogs support operations in district schools, the detention facility, and the Criminal Interdiction Team.

Our Bloodhounds serve a specialized role, focusing exclusively on tracking. The Bloodhound Tracking Team is deployed to locate missing persons and wanted fugitives throughout Santa Rosa County.

Every K9 in the SRSO K9 Unit undergoes extensive training and certification, ensuring they are fully prepared to protect and serve the citizens of Santa Rosa County.