History

Police Dog Daum

Police Dog Barry (retired)

The Grants Pass Department of Public Safety’s K-9 program began in the year 2000. At inception, the program was partially funded through community donations and to date, all Grants Pass Department of Public Safety K-9’s have been purchased completely with private donations

This team was started with K-9 “Daum,” a German Shepherd Dog. Daum worked with Cpl. Jeff Gaunt and helped to establish the high standards we enjoy today. Daum served the citizens of Grants Pass until his untimely death on November 27^th, 2004.

The second K-9 was “Barry,” a Belgian Malinois, who served from 2001 until his retirement in 2008. After retirement, Barry was sold to his handler, Cpl. Todd Moran, and has been enjoying his retirement life.

 Currently

The Grants Pass Department of Public Safety currently has two K-9 teams.

Cpl. Jeff Gaunt, a state certified “K-9 Trainer,” and “Denny,” a German Shepherd Dog, have been working as a team since 2005. “Denny” came to us from the Czech Republic.

Officer Justin DeKruger and “Rommel,” a Belgian Malinois, have been working as a team since 2008. Rommel came to us from the Netherlands.

Corporal Jeff Gaunt and Denny	Officer Justin DeKruger and Rommel

The police K9 teams enjoy working the night shifts - dedicated to the citizens of Grants Pass as they offer a sense of extra protection, confront danger in the cover of darkness and are faithful to their handlers.

The Grants Pass Department of Public Safety K-9 teams generally work during the night-time hours. This allows the greatest effectiveness since most building searches, alarms, burglaries, etc. occur during this shift. The K-9 average three to four “deployments” each shift and are responsible for hundreds of “captures.”

The K-9 teams train weekly and they are certified through the Oregon Police Canine Association. The K-9 teams also attend numerous civilian functions each year. These include school visits, local civic groups, and public education programs.

During their time off, the K-9 enjoy resting at their home, playing, and preparing for their next shift.

If you have any questions about the K-9 team, please contact Sgt. Dan Evans at (541)474-6370 or by email at: devans@grantspassoregon.gov.