MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Blaine Police K9 Teams Earn Annual Certification, Hector Finishes Second Overall at Regional Patrol Dog Trials

BLAINE, MN (June 2026) Three Blaine Police Department K9 teams successfully earned their annual patrol certifications during one of Minnesota's premier law enforcement canine competitions, with one Blaine team placing among the top performers in the region.

The department announced that Officers Titus, Moore, and Larson, along with their canine partners Vinny, Andy, and Hector, recently competed in the United States Police Canine Association (USPCA) Region 12 Patrol Dog Trial in Delano. The multi-day event brought together 63 K9 teams from law enforcement agencies across Minnesota, testing the skills, discipline, and operational readiness of police canine units through a series of demanding evaluations.

All three Blaine teams successfully completed the certification process required to maintain patrol dog deployment standards for the coming year.

Among the standout performances was Officer Larson and K9 Hector, who captured Second Place Overall in the competition. According to the department, Hector lost fewer than eight points out of a possible 640 points during the trial, an exceptionally strong performance against some of the state's most experienced police canine teams.

The USPCA, one of the nation's leading police canine organizations, conducts patrol dog trials to evaluate the abilities of canine teams under standardized conditions designed to mirror real-world law enforcement scenarios. Patrol dogs are tested in a variety of disciplines that measure both obedience and operational effectiveness.

This year's competition included evaluations in:

• Obedience, requiring dogs to demonstrate discipline and responsiveness to handler commands.
• Article searches, in which canines locate evidence or objects hidden within designated search areas.
• Suspect searches, designed to assess a dog's ability to locate individuals who may be concealed or attempting to evade detection.
• Criminal apprehension exercises, which test the canine team's ability to safely and effectively assist officers in high-risk encounters.

Certification trials play an important role in maintaining professional standards within police canine programs. Successful completion demonstrates that canine teams remain capable of performing the tasks required in patrol operations, including suspect tracking, evidence recovery, building searches, area searches, and officer protection.

The Blaine Police Department's K9 Unit is a specialized resource that supports patrol officers throughout the city and frequently assists neighboring jurisdictions when requested. Police canines often provide capabilities that cannot be replicated by technology alone, particularly in locating suspects, finding discarded evidence, and conducting searches across large areas in a relatively short amount of time.

Department officials also recognized the contributions of the program's training decoys, whose work is essential to preparing police dogs for certification and field deployment. Blaine Police thanked Officer Noll, Officer Link, and Officer Graves for the extensive training hours they dedicate throughout the year.

Training decoys serve a critical function in police canine programs, helping dogs develop the control, confidence, and decision-making skills necessary for patrol work. Their participation allows handlers to conduct realistic training scenarios while ensuring that dogs remain reliable and responsive under stressful conditions.

The success of Blaine's K9 teams comes as police agencies throughout Minnesota continue to invest heavily in canine training, certification, and professional standards. Regional competitions such as the USPCA Patrol Dog Trial provide agencies with an opportunity not only to validate operational readiness but also to benchmark performance against departments from across the state.

For Blaine Police, the results represent both individual achievement and a reflection of the department's ongoing commitment to training.

All three canine teams will return to active service having secured their certifications for another year, while Hector's second-place finish places the Blaine Police Department among the top-performing K9 programs participating in this year's Region 12 competition.

Police officials praised the professionalism and dedication demonstrated by all three teams and congratulated the handlers, canines, and support personnel whose efforts contributed to a successful weekend of competition.

Blaine Police Department K9 Teams – USPCA Region 12 Patrol Dog Trial Results

• Officer Titus and K9 Vinny — Successfully certified for 2026–27
• Officer Moore and K9 Andy — Successfully certified for 2026–27
• Officer Larson and K9 Hector — Successfully certified and 2nd Place Overall
• 63 K9 teams participated from agencies across Minnesota
• Competition disciplines included obedience, article searches, suspect searches, and apprehension exercises
• K9 Hector lost fewer than 8 points out of 640 possible points during the trial

The results underscore the extensive preparation, training, and partnership required to maintain an effective police canine unit and highlight the role K9 teams continue to play in supporting public safety throughout Blaine and the broader Twin Cities region.

MinneapoliMedia | Community. Culture. Civic Life.