K9 Bios

K9 Kai

K9 Kai, the large framed black & tan German Shepherd known for his high energy and loving personality, was born 6/26/2014 in Czechoslovakia. It wasn’t until June of 2017 when K9 Kai was selected by a Czechoslovakian breeder to come to Riverside, CA to fulfill his dream of becoming a working Police K9. As the old saying goes, “third time is the charm,” it wasn’t until the third and final selection trip for Officer Smith to the infamous Adlerhorst International LLC in Riverside where K9 Kai was selected to try out for the Sacramento Police K9 Unit. Some of you may not know, but on that very same selection day Sacramento Police K9 Zuko was also selected to try out for the prestigious Sacramento Police K9 Unit.

K9 Kai was partnered with Officer Smith and joined the Smith family which included Tess, Kai’s Rottweiler sister.

After a few months of training, Officer Smith and K9 Kai had certified in patrol K9 tactics and explosive detection. Officer Smith and K9 Kai hit the streets where they spent the next three years providing full service to the Sacramento Community through assisting Patrol Officers, specialty units, and other agencies, all while making time to stop in and connect with the community on a daily basis.

In 2021, K9 Kai retired to the Smith household as Detective Smith made a career path change into investigations. K9 Kai remains energetic as ever in his retired days where he loves road trips, playing ball, going for a run, and being with the family.   

K9 Kona

K9 Kona, a German Shepherd dog acquired by the Sacramento Police Department on September 4th, 2014 at 18 months old. Kona served his handler and the citizens of Sacramento for several years before his retirement. Kona came to work every day with energy and enthusiasm. He never complained or called in sick, though he occasionally asked to drive the police car. Kona is exceptionally eager to please anyone willing to give him a pet behind the ears. He was deemed the “Team S.W.A.T. Dog” as he would listen to anyone and was a pleasure to handle. A testament to his discipline and training.

On May 12th, 2021, K9 Kona entered a life of leisure where he now lounges on his living room pillow or in the sun of the backyard, still spry and ready to return to work at a moment’s notice. He barely looks half his age and has maintained a high level of agility for a dog of his years. But don’t let his energy fool you as his affection is contagious and draws you in. He is as docile as they come and is now a true family dog.  

K9 Reno

The police K9 known as “Reno” was born in the Netherlands in April of 2013 and brought to the United States in 2015.  In March of 2015, handlers from SPDK9 ventured down to southern California and selected a tall, skinny and lanky Belgian Malinois named “Bibo” to join the police department.  In April of 2015, Officer Yasonia was selected to join the K9 unit and was paired with the dog.  Although “Bibo” was a nice name, “Reno” was a better suited name for this magnificent creature.  After spending several months in K9 training, Officer Yasonia and K9 “Reno” certified and hit the streets to serve the citizens and guests of City of Sacramento. 

K9 Reno quickly became a trusted member of the department when searching for suspects, evidence and explosives.   K9 Reno also was fortunate to become a SWAT K9 as well.  On September 11th, 2017, K9 Reno was tasked with his greatest challenge to date.  During a critical incident when taking down a violent felon, K9 Reno was brutally assaulted with a knife.  K9 Reno made a full recovery and continued working until the summer of 2019 when he underwent surgery for two torn ACLs in his back legs.  Unfortunately, the surgery did not help K9 Reno’s mobility and the decision was made to retire him and allow him to live out his life with Officer Yasonia and his family.

Since retirement, K9 Reno has gained another brother, K9 Jax.  K9 Reno enjoys his days in retirement sleeping on the couch, running around the yard and going for car ride to get his human brothers.  In retirement, K9 Reno has received the best care as a beneficiary of the Sacramento Police K9 association.  On behalf of K9 Reno, I thank you all for your continued support and GO TEAM RENO!