Washington State Patrol is about to welcome nine new canine officers.
The four-legged troopers finally get their diplomas after months of training. The graduates are now experts in explosive detection.
Five of the K9s were trained by the Washington State Patrol. These canines went through a 12 week course with 400+ hours of training. You can read more about the course work here and here.
The other four canines were trained by the TSA in San Antonio, Texas. They also received 10 weeks of training in Washington.
The new graduates will join WSP's Canine Training Unit. It started in 1996 with just two canines. It now has 41 canines in its ranks. WSP says the program is the largest of any local, county, or state law enforcement agency in the nation.
Look through the gallery to learn more about the new canines, their handlers and where they will serve:
