Two Douglas County Sheriff's Office K-9 officers are set to retire next month, and the nonprofit that helped fund their careers says seats are running out fast for the send-off. The 15th Annual Howling Good Time Gala, scheduled for September 24 at Cielo at Castle Pines, will mark the official retirement of K-9 Officers Sig and Dozer while formally welcoming new K-9 Officers Dug and Rone to active duty.
According to a Douglas County Sheriff's Office Facebook post, fewer than 40 seats remain for the gala, which includes a cocktail hour and meet-and-greet with K-9 teams, live K-9 demonstrations, a three-course plated dinner, one complimentary drink, and silent and live auctions featuring one-of-a-kind items. The evening is designed to honor the K-9s and handlers who help keep the community safe, and proceeds benefit the Douglas County Sheriff's Office K-9 Unit. The gala is organized by Friends of Douglas County K-9, which has supported the unit for 15 years and is inviting the public to attend.
A Charity Born From a Budget Gap
Friends of Douglas County K-9 was founded in 2011 by local veterinarians and citizens after they discovered the Sheriff's Office lacked county budget funds to replace two retiring K-9s, according to The Castle Pines Connection. That grassroots effort grew into a 100% volunteer-run 501(c)(3) that now essentially finances the operational costs the county budget does not cover.
Aside from deputy salaries and patrol vehicles, the K-9 Unit relies almost entirely on private donations and fundraising coordinated by the nonprofit. Purchasing a single police K-9 and completing initial handler training costs between $12,000 and $18,000, with custom protective Kevlar vests adding over $2,000 per dog and lifetime care reaching nearly $40,000, per figures reported by 9NEWS. The nonprofit also manages the K-9 Officer Preservation Fund, which covers 100% of lifelong veterinary and medical care for retired DCSO dogs so handler deputies do not incur severe personal expenses, according to Veterinary Specialists of the Rockies.
A Unit With Deep Local Roots
Founded in 1989, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office K-9 Unit maintains six active Deputy/K-9 teams to ensure continuous 24-hour patrol coverage across the county. As of July 2, the unit had logged 23,295 deployments, 3,141 arrests, 1,039 assists to surrounding law enforcement agencies, more than 1,752 pounds of narcotics seized, and over $2 million in cash confiscated since 2011, figures the nonprofit's own records show.
The unit's dogs continue training even as some prepare to retire. In August, DCSO K-9 teams completed advanced explosive detection training hosted by the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate's Regional Explosives Detection Dog Initiative, the Sheriff's Office announced. The training underscores the level of ongoing tactical and scent-detection certification required to keep working dogs operational.
Civic Recognition Beyond the Gala
Public appreciation for the K-9 program extends beyond the annual fundraiser. In July 2024, Douglas County Commissioners and Sheriff Darren Weekly approved a community Eagle Scout project to construct a permanent K-9 memorial monument outside the Douglas County Justice Center in Castle Rock, according to the Sheriff's Office.
This year's gala takes place at Cielo at Castle Pines, a family-owned venue built in 2009 on six acres in Castle Pines Village with a 350-guest main hall. With seats limited and the event less than six weeks away, organizers are framing the evening as both a celebration of Sig and Dozer's years of service and an introduction of Dug and Rone, the dogs set to carry the unit's work forward.
