K9 Program

In the early 1990s, the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office purchased Narcotic Detector K9s.  However, by the late 1990s, the program had gone away.

In 2003, the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office obtained a federal grant for four Narcotic Detector K9s.  Lt. Joey Cone began the process of establishing the K9 program.  With the cooperation of local vendors and community support, materials were donated to the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office.  The new handlers themselves built each kennel for all new canines.  Later, Lt. Joey Cone and Lt. Matt Bales purchased bloodhounds and began training them to track.

As of today, the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office has five Narcotic Detector K9s, four tracking dogs, and one bomb dog. Our K9s provide various services to the community.  Our tracking K9s primarily find lost individuals and fleeing suspects.  Our narcotic and bomb K9s search for various illegal and dangerous materials throughout the community, including schools.

The Cullman County Sheriff’s Office believes a well-trained canine team is essential for the safety and security of Cullman County.  Our K9 teams are trained extensively.  Ongoing training and certification are required every year for the handler and canines.

If you are a law enforcement officer or agency in the State of Alabama and would like to train with our staff, have inquiries about our program, or would like to request assistance from our trainers, please reach out to Lt. Matthew Bales.