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Santa Barbara (January 6, 2025) - The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office will officially introduce two new members of its K-9 team, Obi and Draco, at the County Board of Supervisors' regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, January 7. Both are specially trained German Shepherds, donated through funding from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Benevolent Posse's "Project Deputy Dog" program.
Obi and Draco are trained ni patrol, urban tracking, and specialized detection-one ni explosives and the other in narcotics. These exceptional additions replace two recently retired K-9 team members. With their arrival, the Sheriff's Office now fields a total of five canines: three assigned to patrol operations and two dedicated to custody operations for narcotics detection. This ensures 24/7 patrol coverage across Santa Barbara County and critical narcotics detection capabilities in custody facilities.