7 Counties Gather in Warne for K9 Training

On Friday November 17, 2017, law enforcement officers and their K9 partners from surrounding agencies in Western North Carolina converged on the Warne Community Center for a day of training and information sharing hosted by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.  The training combined both indoor and outdoor scenarios of vehicle and building searches. The searches were for narcotics, articles (such as firearms or property), and tracking. 
 
There was also classroom discussion that consisted of legal updates and court room testimony presented by a representative from the District Attorney’s Office.  Policy, procedure, training and recertification were also a classroom topic discussed by participants of the training. 
 
The focus of this event was not only the training but to also create an opportunity to bring K9 officers together from around the 30th Judicial District (the seven western counties) to share knowledge, experience, and resources for the benefit of everyone. 
 
Ed Able, of P.A.W.S. K9 in Young Harris, volunteered his time to help with the training scenarios. Ed has extensive experience in law enforcement and K9s and helped to provide valuable, practical training.
 
This was a first of more training to come for Clay County K9 officers as they continue working to improve their skills.  Since March, twenty seven arrests have been made on drug related charges resulting from traffic stops and the use of Clay County K9s.  
 
Special thanks to Ed Able of P.A.W.S., the Warne Community Center, Warne Fire Department, and Charlie Shelton of Southern Auction for their help and support to make this regional training a success.