Yakima Police Welcome New K-9 Officer: Meet Router!

The Yakima Police Department is welcoming a new K-9 Officer. But unlike other K9 Officers who detect drugs K9 Router is a Electronic Search Detection and a Facility K9.

ROUTER HAS A SPECIALIZED SNIFFER

So what's that mean? According to the Yakima Police Department Facebook page It means K9 Router, who is a young Black Labrador Retriever has been trained to assist on search warrants to locate electronic devices, such as hard drives, cell phones, or SD cards. Authorities also say he's also trained to comfort victims and witnesses during interviews and court testimony.

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YOUR DONATIONS HELPED ROUTER JOIN THE FORCE

K9 Router, who now works closely with Yakima Police Detective Michael Deleon, is supported through your donations to the K9 Foundation Yakima Valley. Director Fern Hart says ever since the organization was created in 2022 they've been helping support K9 programs in both the Yakima Police Department and the Yakima County Sheriff's Office. K9 Router joins K9 Asko, a 55 pound Belgium Malinois from Slovakia who joined the force in 2023. Asko replaced K9 Trex who died after suffering from an "undiagnosable gastrointestinal disorder."

K9'S ARE BUSY IN THE CITY OF YAKIMA

currently there are 5K9 Officers, 2 in the Yakima County Sheriff's Office and 2 in the Yakima Police Department and one cadaver dog in the Yakima County Coroners Office.

YOU CAN STEP UP AND HELP TODAY

The foundation supports those K9's but Hart says because of the size of the county and the calls for service they answer the departments need more K9's. Hart says they need at least 6 working K9's. Each working K9 costs thousands of dollars. That's where you can help. You can donate on the k9foundation Facebook page and 100% of the donations go directly to the foundation. You can find the foundation on Facebook at k9foundationyakima valley or at K9foundationyv.org.