From rescue dog to K9 patrol, the new Riverton Police Department K9 officer’s life is a Cinderella story.  

Riverton Police Chief Shane Taylor received a call from his counterpart in Brigham City to let him know an 18-month-old Belgian Malinois had been abandoned at the city’s shelter and could possibly be trained to be a K9 officer. If Taylor was interested, Brigham City’s police department wanted to donate the pup to the RPD. 

“If I was to reach out to a vendor, it would be anywhere from $14,000 to $18,000 that we would have to pay [for a K9 dog],” Taylor said. “This is really remarkable, because I didn’t have to pay, we saved a dog that was in a shelter and he has a job and he has a home to go home to and spend time with the family there.” 

The Riverton community heartily welcomed the young K9 officer and a citywide contest was held to name the dog. More than 550 names were submitted and the RPD narrowed it down to seven names for the public to choose from. After 5,464 votes were counted, the name “Atlas” took first place with 1,047 votes. 

This four-legged crime fighter will play a vital role in keeping Riverton safe as he undergoes an intense 320 hours of training in apprehension and narcotics detection. His partner, Sgt. E.J. Estrada will also undergo 320 hours of training to work with Atlas. 

“This dog’s never had any police training, so he’ll be learning those foundations for him to understand what I’m asking him to do, and then to practice, to perfect what I’m asking him to do,” Estrada said. “So the big thing at the beginning is producing that drive to pursue the smells that I want him to pursue.” 

Although a K9 officer’s job is serious, training involves a lot of playtime and positive reinforcement as he bonds with his handler. Atlas will build on his skills as his training evolves to include longer searches or more elaborate scenarios.  

This isn’t the first K9 officer Estrada has worked with. He’s also partnered with Titan, the RPD’s other K9 who previously worked with Officer Spencer Hiatt. Titan and Hiatt will now be reunited as partners.  

“No two dogs are the same,” Estrada said. “So from my first dog to this dog, the quirks and the behaviors and the likes and the dislikes are a lot different. It’s learning a whole new process for motivating the dog and making sure the dog’s getting the right payments so he feels excited to do the job that I want him to do. Obviously, we never want to force the dog to do something. It’s not fun for him and the results are never as good.” 

Most K9 candidates are acquired from Europe where they’ve been bred through lines of dogs with a history of police service and high performance. They start training immediately as puppies and are sold for thousands of dollars.  

Estrada said working, training and living with Atlas will involve a lot of patience as the K9 develops skills he needs to succeed.  

“I know he has no idea what I’m asking him to do but we’re already seeing great progress with him. He’s eager and energetic, so that makes it a lot easier,” he said. “I’ve always loved dogs. I’ve always loved working with dogs. For me, there’s just nothing better than rolling around with my dog in my car all night.” 

Taylor knows residents are excited to follow the progress Atlas makes and asked that people be cautious when approaching any K9 officer in a public setting. It’s appropriate to ask the dog’s handler if the dog can be touched but if the officer says no, that needs to be respected. K9 officers are trained to be alert and are doing their jobs, so always get permission before making contact.  

The police chief appreciates the Riverton community for its help in welcoming Atlas. He’s excited to add another K9 to the department. 

“I think it’s amazing that Riverton City is supporting the K9 program for narcotics and apprehension,” Taylor said. “I would like to express my appreciation to the Riverton community for reaching out to help us with naming him.”