The Indiana State Police Pendleton District has announced the addition of a new K-9 team.
On Tuesday, Trooper Michael Thiron and his new partner, Ruger, graduated from the Indiana State Police K-9 Academy in Indianapolis.
The Indiana State Police K-9 Academy, a rigorous 12-week training program, prepares K-9 teams for a variety of law enforcement tasks, including obedience, tracking, area and building searches, article searches, aggression control, and narcotic detection.
Ruger, a 20-month-old Belgian Malinois/German Shepherd mix, will join Trooper Thiron in his ongoing efforts to counter the trafficking of illegal narcotics and crime across the Pendleton District.
Trooper Thiron, a nine-year veteran of the Indiana State Police, has served as a K-9 handler for three years. Ruger will be replacing Thiron’s current partner, Yana, who is nearing retirement after years of dedicated service.
“Being a K-9 handler is more than a job” Thiron said. “It’s a partnership built on trust, discipline, and an unbreakable bond.”
ISP is proud to have one of the largest and most highly regarded K-9 programs in the country, and the addition of Ruger further strengthens the agency’s commitment to keeping the citizens of Indiana safe.