The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources’ K9 program features nine teams of Conservation Police Officers paired with highly trained canine partners. These teams support the agency’s mission by conserving wildlife and habitats, connecting people to Virginia’s outdoors, and protecting its residents and property.
Our K9s Need Your Help!DWR’s K9 teams specialize in human tracking and evidence recovery. They assist fellow Conservation Police Officers, as well as other law enforcement agencies, by locating and recovering evidence at crime scenes and hunting incident investigations, tracking suspects involved in criminal activity, and locating missing or critically endangered persons.
These teams also engage in public education, showcasing their skills through demonstrations and presentations for schools, community groups, and media. By promoting resource management and wildlife stewardship during these events, they help connect communities to the outdoors. To request a K9 presentation for your organization, please fill out this form.
Help Support Our K9s!
You can support DWR’s K9 teams through the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. 100% of donations go directly to support these canine officers, covering equipment, food, wellness, veterinary care, and other expenses.
Donate OnlinePrefer to donate by mail? Send donations, with “K9 Fund” noted, to the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation, PO Box 519, Halifax, VA 24558.
Meet the CPO K9s
Tap a card to learn more about the K9 and their handler.

K9 Molly



K9 Molly
- Breed: Chocolate Labrador Retriever
- Birth Date: June 7, 2018
- Handler: Officer Jacob Chaffin
- Favorite Toy: Kong
- Disciplines: Human tracking and article search
- Safety Message: Always keep your muzzle pointed in a safe direction.
- Fun Fact: Molly always gets the zoomies before bed.

K9 Atlas



K9 Atlas
- Breed: Yellow Labrador Retriever
- Birth Date: March 22, 2023
- Handler: Officer Cameron Dobyns
- Favorite Toy: Kong
- Disciplines: Human tracking and article search
- Safety Messages: Report poaching; wildlife protection is everyone’s responsibility.
- Fun Fact: Atlas enjoys meeting new people and shaking hands

K9 Blaze



K9 Blaze
- Breed: Fox Red Labrador Retriever
- Birth Date: November 17, 2022
- Handler: Officer Bruce Young
- Favorite Toy: Kong with rope
- Disciplines: Human tracking and article search
- Safety Message: Be safe, be seen. Wear blaze orange.
- Fun Fact: Blaze can reach 12 MPH in just three seconds!

K9 Reese



K9 Reese
- Breed: Chocolate Labrador Retriever
- Birth Date: December 3, 2018
- Handler: Officer Ian Ostlund
- Favorite Toy: “B” her Chuckit! ring
- Disciplines: Human tracking and article search
- Safety Message: Always wear a safety harness in a tree stand.
- Fun Fact: Reese was afraid of stairs and didn’t know how to swim! Her handler taught her to be brave.

K9 Coal



K9 Coal
- Breed: Fox Red Labrador Retriever
- Birth Date: January 25, 2021
- Handler: Officer Mark VanDyke
- Favorite Toy: Kong with rope
- Disciplines: Human tracking and article search
- Safety Message: Attend a Hunter Education course.
- Fun Fact: Most people think Coal is a Golden Retriever, based on his color.

K9 Lily



K9 Lily
- Breed: Yellow Labrador Retriever
- Birth Date: March 24, 2019
- Handler: Officer Mark DiLuigi
- Favorite Toy: The Bad Cuz
- Disciplines: Human tracking and article search
- Safety Message: Be sure of your target and what is beyond.
- Fun Fact: Lily likes to eat tomatoes from her handler’s tomato plants.

K9 Bruno



K9 Bruno
- Breed: Chocolate Labrador Retriever
- Birth Date: March 9, 2018
- Handler: Officer Tyler Blanks
- Favorite Toy: Kong
- Disciplines: Human tracking and article search
- Safety Message: Always treat a firearm as if it is loaded.
- Fun Fact: When Bruno gets bored, he plays with cinder blocks.

K9 Grace



K9 Grace
- Breed: Black Labrador Retriever
- Birth Date: April 7, 2019
- Handler: Officer Bonnie Braziel
- Favorite Toy: Any toy from Nannie
- Disciplines: Human tracking and article search
- Safety Message: Always wear your life jacket on the water and have fun!
- Fun Fact: Even in her deepest sleep, Grace can still hear the crinkle of a chip bag from across the house.

K9 Sky



K9 Sky
- Breed: Black Labrador Retriever
- Birth Date: September 3, 2016
- Handler: Officer Richard Howald
- Favorite Toy: Kong
- Disciplines: Human tracking and article search
- Safety: When hunting or boating, always let someone know your location and return time.
- Fun Fact: Sky steals her handler’s tomatoes, peppers, apples, and eggs.
Follow Along with the CPO K9s
Keep up with the DWR K9s with articles about their training, equipment, and how they work for wildlife.
View an Archive of More K9 Program Articles
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The History of the DWR K9 Program
DWR established its K9 program in the fall of 2010. Three carefully selected candidates and their potential canine partners were selected to attend the 2011 Indiana K9 Natural resources Protection Program. While in Indiana, the three K9 teams received more than 400 hours of training before being certified as Natural Resource K9 Teams. After graduation, the three certified K9 teams made an immediate impact on the Law Enforcement agency’s mission by detecting numerous wildlife violators and locating several missing persons.
The initial success of the K9 program helping to protect Virginia’s natural resources prompted the agency to grow the program to its current numbers. Since the creation of the program, the K9 teams have located numerous lost or missing persons, assisted local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies by locating evidence at crime scenes, and helped DWR officers charge more than 1,000 wildlife-related cases. We are excited to see what the future holds for this program.