K9 Tyler Joins Cheyenne PD

K9 Tyler graduated from her training certification program and became an official member of the Cheyenne Police Department in May 2019. At two years old, this graduation is something Tyler’s been preparing for her entire life.

Tyler is a female Belgian Malinois who was born in Holland and then sold to K9 Working Dogs International in Kansas, which is used extensively for raising and training working dogs. She was selected to join the Cheyenne Police Department by Officer Lisa Koeppel, whose K9 partner was retiring.

The Cheyenne Police Department received the funding for the new K9 after winning a grant from Tyler Technologies in 2017. This grant was funded by the Tyler Foundation, which worked with the Sean M. Walsh K-9 Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to providing grants to law enforcement agencies in need of financial support to establish or maintain their K9 teams.

Once selected by Koeppel, Tyler began the process of becoming a certified K9 with the police department. Since her graduation, she goes out on patrol with Koeppel, which she loves to do.

“Tyler is a spaz and spins circles nonstop for the entire shift,” Koeppel said. “She barks at everything, including passing cars, trees, and mailboxes. But she’s also had two drug alerts so far in her career. She loves to hunt for dope.”

In the time Tyler has been on the job, she’s alerted Koeppel to two instances where drugs were found. The first instance involved a small amount of marijuana and the second instance involved a felony amount of meth.

When Tyler is not at work, she continues with obedience and training — specifically on narcotics and evidence — and enjoys playing just like any other dog.

Tyler also enjoys spending time with K9 Capo, the dog that worked with Koeppel prior to his retirement earlier this year.

“It’s a big transition going from the training environment to the real world, but Tyler is doing well,” Koeppel said. “She loves getting ready for work and working all day long. She also loves running around in the back yard.”

*In October 2017, the Cheyenne Police Department won a grant from Tyler Technologies to fund a K9 unit as a part of Tyler’s commitment to making communities safer together. To provide this grant, Tyler Technologies worked with Sean’s K-9s, an organization committed to providing grants to law enforcement agencies in need of financial support to establish or maintain their K-9 teams. Follow along with this series as it details the Cheyenne PD, Officer Lisa Koeppel, and her new K9, named Tyler.