An experienced Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) law enforcement officer, Jason S. He was raised in the area and attended Zane Trace High School. Jason graduated from Hocking College with an Associate Degree in Wildlife Management. Officer Lagore began his ODNR career in 2005 when he joined the Division of Parks and Watercraft in 2005 and worked at both Caesar Creek and Cowan Lake state
parks. In 2011, Officer Lagore began working and training with his first canine partner, Ranger. Officer Lagore attended Police Dog Services and completed police K-9 training. Throughout K-9 Ranger’s service life, this highly effective team of canine and officer was involved in numerous missing person searches. Highlights of their work include 21 cadaver finds and locating nearly an ounce of he**in. Officer Lagore and K-9 Ranger also received a life-saving award for locating a missing 88-year-old diabetic male. As Officer Lagore worked with his K-9 partner, he began advocating for the use of additional K-9 teams across ODNR and other law enforcement agencies. In January 2017, Officer Jason Lagore coordinated the first Ohio State Park’s Canine Academy, which resulted in graduating two new K-9s. In the recent past, Officer Lagore was instrumental in training additional K-9’s for the ODNR’s divisions of Parks and Watercraft and Wildlife, as well as other agencies across Ohio. Because of his expertise, instruction skills, enthusiasm, and advocacy, ODNR now has 10 K-9 units assisting traditional law enforcement officers. As K-9 Ranger reached retirement age, Officer Lagore trained a new K-9 partner, Sarge, who replaced K-9 Ranger in 2018. Working with both K-9s, Officer Lagore’s efforts resulted in more than 40 positive finds for cadavers and hundreds of searches for other Ohio law enforcement agencies. The work done by Officer Lagore and his K-9 partners provided closure or relief for dozens of Ohio families. It cannot be said enough—Officer Lagore’s wealth of knowledge about training police canines is irreplaceable. In addition to committing hundreds of hours training his own canines, he routinely answered calls for service for a total of more than 400 K-9 team responses. In January 2021, Officer Lagore and the rest of ODNR’s K-9 officers grieved as K-9 Ranger was laid to rest. Just one month later, Natural Resources Officer Jason S. Lagore passed away on February 23, 2021 after he suffered a medical emergency while assisting with a missing person search at Rocky Fork State Park. Today, his K-9 partner, Sarge, is retired from service and living with Officer Lagore’s wife and children. Because of his dedication and hard work, Officer Lagore and his K-9 partners leave a strong legacy for other ODNR K-9 units to follow. Because of his commitment to excellence and public service, ODNR’s law enforcement canine teams are professional, well-respected, and highly effective units they are today.
