Olmsted-Rochester Law Enforcement K-9 Foundation

06/15/2026

Welcome

There’s a new dog in town named Bear! Bear is Officer Goergen’s K9 partner. The two recently completed the Patrol/Detector Dog Handlers Course at the K9 Global Training Academy in Somerset, Texas. Bear is a dual purpose K9 trained in patrol work as well as explosive detection. Congratulations, Officer Goergen and K9 Bear! 🐾

06/10/2026

Congratulations are in order after a very successful USPCA Region 18 K9 Certification by the host agency, Olmsted County Sheriff's Office. In the coming days, we will highlight many of the achievements from our participants.

Tonight, we are proud to highlight a new award established this year, presented to the top canine team across both our April Narcotic Detector Trial and the Patrol Dog Trial that concluded today.

The inaugural recipient of this honor is Officer Cronk of the Rochester Police Department. Congratulations, Officer Cronk and Canine Finn, on this outstanding accomplishment!

06/09/2026

Huge congratulations to all the incredible K9 teams who competed in the USPCA Region 18 2026 K9 Trial, hosted by the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office! 🐾

We are incredibly proud of our local teams. All of our Rochester and Olmsted County teams passed, with a special shout-out to:

Deputy Sedarski & K9 Hutch: 2nd Place in Evidence Search
Corporal Schmidt & K9 Axel: 2nd Place in Apprehension
Deputy Herran & K9 Bruno: 4th Place Overall
Deputy Cronk & K9 Finn: 4th Place Overall

An outstanding job by everyone involved!

Help us congratulate these dedicated handlers and their K9 partners in the comments! 👇

06/09/2026

The second day of trials is underway. Day one was excellent, and we're grateful to Olmsted County for their outstanding support. We're also thankful for the dedication of judges, scorekeepers, stewards, and volunteers who drive the success of these events. The USPCA certification process is volunteer-driven and unpaid. We wish all teams a successful competition today.

06/09/2026

🐾 **LAST CHANCE TO WATCH THE K9s IN ACTION!** 🐾

Looking for something incredible to do **TODAY**? Come out and catch the grand finale of the USPCA Region 18 PD1 Field Trial! Hosted by the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office, today is the final day of the competition.

This event is **FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC**, so grab the family and come see these elite dogs showcase their incredible training, speed, and focus.

📍 Where to Catch the Action in Stewartville
* **When:** Happening **TODAY, June 9th** (Events kicked off at 8:00 AM and run until completion!)

* **Where:** **Bear Cave Park** (800 10th St. NW, Stewartville)

* **What you'll see:** Suspect Search & High-Intensity Straight Attack Bite Work!

Come out, enjoy the weather, and show your loud support for our local K-9 units as they wrap up the trials! 🐕‍🦺⚡

You can purchase some of our trial merch today or this Saturday, June 13th at Rochester Pet & Country Stores 30th Anniversary bash!

06/08/2026

🐾 COME WATCH THE K-9s IN ACTION! 🐾

​Looking for something incredible to do? Come out and support our local K-9 teams! The USPCA Region 18 PD1 Field Trial, hosted by the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office, is happening today and tomorrow.

​This event is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, so bring the family and watch these elite dogs showcase their skills.

​📍 Where to Catch the Action in Stewartville on June 8th:
🐕 ​Bear Cave Park (800 10th St. NW) – Suspect search & Straight Attack Bite work
🐕 ​Meadow Park North (640 2nd Ave. NE) – Obedience & Bitework w/ gunfire
🐕 ​Stewartville Parks Department (601 Main St. N) – Article Search

📍 Where to Catch the Action in Stewartville on June 9th- starting at 8am:
🐕 Bear Cave Park (800 10th St. NW) - Suspect search & Straight Attack Bite work

​Come cheer on these amazing K-9 units! 🐕‍🦺⚡🚔

05/07/2026

Such sad news to learn about. Office Piper and Handler Dezell bonded together and made a great team. Our prayers go out to the Dezell family during this loss.

It is with heavy hearts we share the sudden and unexpected passing of K9 Piper. K9 Piper died May 6 from a congenital heart failure, a condition that was diagnosed just 36 hours earlier.

K9 Piper was more than a working dog, she was a dedicated partner to her handler and a beloved member of the RPD family. Her presence in our department and community will be deeply missed.

05/03/2026

Corporal Schmidt and K-9 Axel doing a demonstration at the 2026 Paws N Claws Dog Walk

02/13/2026

Welcome to the OCSO K9 Unit Molly and Oliv!!!

02/12/2026

A wanted person was captured after fleeing into a wooded area in northwest Rochester Wednesday night