ISP K9s earn honors at regional trial event

BY PCC STAFF

FORT MADISON - Fort Madison, IA. Iowa State Penitentiary’s K9 team took home awards recently at the United States Police Canine Association PD-1 trials.

K9 teams from both Iowa and Minnesota participated in the trials held in Sioux City, Iowa.

In addition to receiving their certifications, the three officers each received awards in various categories. Sgt. Michael Barnes who has been with the K9 program for 21 years and his dog, Thor, took First Place in Agility, Third Place in Obedience and Third Place in Suspect Search. Sgt. Zeb Butler who has ten years of experience with his K9, Duke, took second place in Evidence Search. Sgt Dustin Yager and his dog Maverick, are new to the program, took first place in the Rookie Category.

The K9 program is an integral part of the security at Iowa State Penitentiary. The Sgt.’s and their working dogs perform many functions such as narcotic detection and crowd control.