Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr. welcomed the Sheriff’s Office’s newest K9, Hondo, today at a brief ceremony. Sheriff Toulon presented Hondo with his official shield, and Hondo showcased his skills including a drug search and an apprehension demonstration.
“We are excited to welcome Hondo as our newest four-legged member of the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office. Just weeks after his training he already completed a successful missing person search and we look forward to all the future investigative work he will do to keep our County safe,” said Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr.
Hondo is a 1-year-old German Shepard who received 8 months of training in detecting drugs, patrolling, and searching buildings and locating missing or wanted individuals. Hondo will also do traffic patrol with the Sheriff’s Office’s DWI Unit.
Weeks after completing his 8-month training, Hondo assisted in tracking down a missing individual in Riverhead. He was vital in helping find the missing teenager who fled on foot from the County Court complex and was shortly found behind electrical components in a wooded area in the complex.
Hondo joins a force of two other Deputy Sheriff K-9s and three Correction Office K-9s.