THE DOGS IN B LUE Inside Vancouver Police Department’s K-9 Unit

By Kristen Flowers

Heather Janisch knew that dogs would always be a part of her life. It was her love for dogs that brought her to work at a local kennel. It should have been her dream job since, all day, every day, she got to work with dogs. Yet, when the boys in blue arrived, it awakened something inside her that changed the entire trajectory of her life.

Seven years ago, Janisch saw officers from Vancouver Police Department (VPD) training with their K-9 dogs at the kennel she where she worked. It was something that the officers did every week. Watching them work made such an impact that she dropped everything and applied to become a police officer. “I saw them working with their dogs, and I thought that was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen,” recalls Janisch. “I thought that would be the perfect job. You got to be a police officer, but you also get to work with a dog.”

Becoming VPD’s First Female K-9 Handler

On the VPD application, she was asked about her long-term goals in the department, so she made her intentions very clear: she wanted to be a K-9 handler. But, like everything in life, it didn’t come easy. Officer Janisch worked hard, pushed herself as she gained experience and continued to work toward her end goal of becoming a K-9 handler.

She set herself up for success by getting to know the people in the department, learning as much as she could, and making herself available. “Over the course of my career, any time I had a chance to run a track with a dog or work with a dog or go to training to help out, I did, and I just loved it. I loved the challenge that it [brought], but it’s also just so much fun.”

Finally, her persistence paid off. Last June, Officer Janisch was officially given the title and holds the honor of being the very first female K-9 handler in the history of VPD. Her dog, Tex, became her partner after his previous handler was promoted to sergeant.

The fact that she gets to be a handler is enough for Officer Janisch. When asked about being the first woman in the K-9 unit, she doesn’t give it a second thought. “Honestly, I’m just so excited to be a handler that I don’t put a lot of focus on being the first female,” she says. “I don’t think there have been a lot of women that have applied for it. It is a very challenging unit, and you must work super hard and be up for a challenge. I’m just really excited to be here.” continued on page 12