Ventosa K9 LLC

06/22/2026

Day 1️⃣ of our Decoy Seminar with Master Trainer Pete GPete Genovese the books! 💪

The day started in the classroom, where students learned the foundations and principles behind effective decoy work. This afternoon, they took that knowledge straight to the field and got hands-on experience putting those concepts into practice.

Another great week of learning, growth, and building better K9 teams is underway. 🐾

06/19/2026

🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

06/18/2026

Today, we proudly graduated Class 1780 from our six-week K9 Handler Course.

This class brought together two very different handlers: one seasoned veteran and one first-time handler. Through scorching heat, rainy days, long training hours, and every challenge in between, both officers showed up each day with determination, professionalism, and a willingness to learn.

One of the most rewarding parts of this course was watching our green handler transform from someone who had never worked a dog into a confident K9 handler capable of reading, communicating with, and trusting their dog. At the same time, our experienced handler proved something we often say in this profession: no matter how much experience you have, you never stop learning.

Growth happens when you stay humble enough to be a student! Be a sponge - absorb everything you can. Trust your training, trust your instincts, and most importantly, TRUST YOUR DOG!!!!

We are incredibly proud of these teams and honored to have played a small role in their journey. We have no doubt they will accomplish great things together as they return home to serve their communities.

Class 1780, you’ve earned it🐾🎓

06/18/2026

What an honor it has been watching these two grow as a team 🐾 This right here is our why.

🚩LONG EMOTIONAL POST AHEAD🚩

We’ve teased. We’ve hinted. We’ve left bread crumbs. Heck we’ve left the entire loaf.

As we’ve “got at” the last few months, this week is very special to us - a time that comes nearly on the forth anniversary of the day that will forever be etched in all of our memories.

Tomorrow evening, Ptl. Paige Maynard will complete her extensive six-week training course at Ventosa Kennel and bring her new K9 partner home.

While this is an amazing feat for both our agency and Ptl. Maynard, it has a deeper meaning and importance.

On June 30, 2022, when Ptl. Jake Chaffins was taken from us, he and his partner Nelson were just a few short months into what was shaping up to be a very promising K9 team career. After Jake passed, Nelson was retired to Jake’s daughter where he lived out his best days of early retirement. We’ve worked diligently at rebuilding our program since with some hurdles - we’ve had dogs donated that were near the end of their career, or their handlers promoted beyond the time restrictions placed upon a handler before certifications could be obtained.

So - as we set out to rebuild the program from scratch, we did so very carefully. We enlisted the help of the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office (who have the premier K9 program in the region) to do it right - and that led us to North Carolina and Ventosa Kennel where we met our new Dutch Shepherd, Jaak.

If that name “tilts your head”, it should. Jaak is the Dutch synonym for “Jake” or “Jakob”, in honor of our fallen handler.

Jaak and Paige both have Jake’s hard work ethic and high-strung drive to find the poison and catch the bad man. We KNOW they will make an amazing team.

Jaak and Paige will premier next week on night shift for their first shift as a nationally-certified team sporting a brand new K9-Equipped cruiser that was funded entirely by a very generous donation by the Tallent Foundation, for which we are eternally grateful.

Make sure you give them a warm welcome, but keep your distance and remember Jaak is not a pet, but is still the bestest boy ever.

This one’s for you, Jake. We miss you, buddy. ❤️

06/17/2026

From tracking suspects to comforting citizens, these two represent different missions with the same purpose: serving their community!

Riot and Officer Bolick graduated from our handler course last year and now protect the streets with Matthews Police Department. Riggins is currently training to support the citizens of Matthews as the Matthews Fire Department therapy dog.

We’re proud to play a small role in preparing both ends of the leash for the work that matters most🐾🚔🚒

06/13/2026

You can train for performance, but you can’t out-train poor nutrition.

Our dogs are athletes, and they deserve fuel that supports the demands of the job. That’s why every dog in our program is fed Inukshuk Professional Dog Food.

When you give your dog premium nutrition, you’re investing in their energy, recovery, longevity, and performance.The difference starts in the bowl.

We don’t just recommend it, we feed it to our own dogs working dogs and pet dogs every day.

📍We have Inukshuk 32/32 and 30/25 at Ventosa K9 💪

Inukshuk Professional Dog Food
Ginger Jones Photography

06/11/2026

Summer heat is a reality every working K9 and handler feels the second they step outside.

After a track, a search, or a long call, K9s come back to the vehicle wearing a vest and a thick fur coat in temperatures that would flatten most of us.

Agencies work hard to keep them safe in that kind of heat. They adjust training times. They train for signs of heatstroke and watch their dogs closely. They build policies around safety.

Vehicle heat alarm systems are one more layer of protection.

They monitor the temperature inside a patrol vehicle and can alert and trigger emergency measures if it rises too high, giving handlers a crucial chance to act before things turn critical.

But heat alarms are expensive, and if one needs to be replaced unexpectedly, we never want cost to be the reason it isn’t replaced.

This summer, our goal is simple: help equip as many K9 vehicles as we can with heat alarm systems so more dogs have that backup on their side.

When you back K9s United, you help turn that goal into actual hardware bolted into real patrol vehicles.

If you are a handler or agency leader who needs help with K9 heat safety equipment, let us know.

If you are someone who wants to stand behind K9s facing the heat, donate to our Heat Alarm campaign and keep an eye on this page as we share the systems we install and the teams you are helping protect.

If you’re able to go one step further, join K9 Corps to set up a recurring monthly gift that protects K9s all year long: https://www.k9sunited.org/donate/

06/10/2026

Last week to register come on out - 2 spots remain 💪

🚨 LIMITED SPOTS REMAINING 🚨

Join us June 22-25 at Ventosa K9 in Marshville, NC for our Decoy Seminar taught by renowned decoy and master trainer Pete Genovese!

This 32-hour seminar is designed specifically for police K9 handlers looking to improve their decoy skills, learn proper techniques, and gain valuable real-world experience from one of the best in the industry.

Spots are limited and filling quickly. Cost is $425 per team. Free lodging is available as well. Email [email protected] or complete your registration online at https://ventosa-k9-llc.square.site/product/decoy-seminar/RHW4UTEODZ7QBTD3RPCPZBBT?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=false&q=false 🐾

06/06/2026

Class #1780 has officially wrapped up Week 4 and continues to make impressive progress every day. Their dedication, hard work, and commitment to excellence is evident everyday!! 🐾👏🏻

06/04/2026

🚨 TOP DOG THURSDAY 🚨

On May 14, 2026, Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office K9 Xena played a key role in the seizure of a significant quantity of illegal narcotics during a traffic stop on Roanoke Road.
After K9 Xena alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle, deputies conducted a search that led to the discovery of approximately 109 grams of methamphetamine and 85 grams of fentanyl. As a result of the investigation, a 41-year-old Clifton Forge, Virginia resident was charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute.

This case highlights the invaluable role that well-trained police K9s play in combating the flow of dangerous drugs into our communities. We are proud to see K9 Xena and her handler utilizing their training to make a real impact and help keep citizens safe!