FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) – Every gameday at Razorback Stadium, the crowd can swell up to 76,000 people. But as players tackle, throw, and punt, there’s another team working behind the scenes to intercept any threat to the thousands in the crowd.
That team is the University of Arkansas Police Department’s K9 division. Four dogs and their handlers make up this crew:
- Ricky, who works narcotics and patrol. At the time of writing, he’s the only police dog in the state that UAPD knows of that’s trained to detect Fentanyl. He’s six and a half years old and works closely with Officer Ryan Barber.
- Fae, a former community outreach dog, now works explosives. She’s four and a half years old and works with Officer Tara Wilder.
- Charlie, who’s part of the explosives team. He’s also four and a half years old, and from what we’ve observed, is quite the lady’s man (watch the full story above!) His partner is officer Trevor Mitchell.
- Kane, the newest addition to the explosives team. He’s one year old and full of energy. His handler is the team’s lead trainer, Sergeant Jeff Shetler.
Shetler says each of these dogs has been certified by the National Narcotic Detection Dog Association, and their work extends beyond the University of Arkansas. He says they regularly assist local schools, law enforcement agencies, and even the Secret Service. For a closer look at this team, how they prepare for gamedays, or their work outside of Razorback Stadium, be sure to watch the story above!
