DURANGO, Colo. – Law enforcement efforts by Colorado Parks and Wildlife have the benefit of backup. It’s not extra hands; in this case, it’s extra paws.
In April 2024, Colorado’s 2024-25 Long Appropriations Bill created a new CPW statewide K9 Unit that followed the success of a pilot program. The statewide program now has a lead K-9 supervisor and five K-9 handlers assigned to the unit.
Two K-9 handlers hired in 2025 were assigned to join the team operating across the Western Slope. They and their dogs graduated from an extensive training program in October.
Oso is a German Shepard handled by Officer Ryan Lane. The pair covers the districts managed by the area wildlife offices in Durango, Montrose, and Monte Vista, as well as state parks in those areas.
Pike is a German Shepard and Belgian Malinois mix handled by Officer Mark Richman. That duo operates in the districts reporting to area wildlife offices in Glenwood Springs, Grand Junction and Gunnison and associated state parks within that territory.
“Ryan and Mark have done a great job in their first year as handlers,” said CPW K9 Unit Supervisor Ian Petkash. “They poured a ton of effort into training, and their success is a testament to the work they put in. Ryan and K-9 Oso, and Mark and K-9 Pike have helped with numerous cases across the West Slope, and their impact has already been felt.”
CPW K-9s are trained to detect wildlife parts as well as locate physical evidence, whether that be in poaching cases or crimes against people. They are also trained in the tracking and location of humans in both a search and rescue function as well as law enforcement. On state parks, CPW has been able to utilize the training and discipline of the K-9s to assist with high profile cases including assaults, sexual assaults and attempted murders.
While the K-9s and their handlers have an area of responsibility they work in, their work knows no boundaries.
Pike has already deployed on five search and rescue missions for missing people across the state in Chaffee, Conejos and Mesa counties.
Both K-9s have also been critical in evidence collection that has led to felony charges.
“We went straight from our handler course into hunting season calls,” Richman said. “Pike assisted local officers on a double illegal mountain goat case that led to a felony willful destruction of wildlife charge.”
Oso helped close a four-week-old elk poaching case in coordination with the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. Oso was able to locate evidence that solved the case. He was pivotal in the location of a moose carcass in a felony willful destruction case. This crime would not have even been detected if it was not for his keen nose. He also assisted with evidence recovery in a kidnapping and sexual assault case on one of the state parks.
“The most amazing part about running a dog is things you find that you’d never see with your naked eye,” said Lane. “When looking for evidence, you might have one thing in mind of what you’re going to find, but the dog leads you down a totally different path and locates evidence related to a case that was never in your mind of what you thought you might find.”
Not only does Oso assist with law enforcement, but he’s also trained and proficient in hazing black bears, fitting given his Spanish language namesake. When CPW wildlife managers are tasked with responding to bear conflict, Oso often tags along.
Before the trap door opens to release the bear, Oso is given the command to “speak.” He immediately begins barking at a high volume and frequency. After the trap door opens and the bear begins to run off, Lane and Oso will pursue the bear for a short distance with Oso safely restrained by his lead. By chasing the bear into the woods with a barking K-9 in pursuit, the goal is to leave the bear with a negative association of humans. Bears have incredible memories, and leaving them with an unpleasant experience of human interaction can deter them from coming into conflict with people in the future. The ultimate goal of CPW’s aversive conditioning program is to keep people safe from bears and bears safe from people.
“I truly believe the most fun my dog has is hazing bears,” Lane said. “We’ve had an issue at a transfer station with eight to 10 bears coming in every night. We went and had Oso lying in wait, not moving a muscle until he’s given the green light. Those bears come in, get within 10 yards and then Oso gets his command. It’s insane barking, and then we are going. It’s all I can do to keep up with him and hold him back at the same time, but we are definitely able to leave those bears with a negative interaction and change their behavior with a good haze, and it is something we can do to avoid having to do lethal management.”
Of course, all of the K-9s also play a pivotal role in educational and public outreach events conducted by CPW. Whether entertaining families visiting state parks or helping inspire the next generation of CPW officers at school programs, the K-9s are always the star of the show.
Oso and Pike added to CPW’s existing K-9 fleet created during the initial pilot program. Petkash handles K-9 Samson, a Belgian Malinois. Brock McArdle handles Cash, a black lab. Cash will retire later this year, following a career as a fan favorite. McArdle will be paired with a new dog who will be ready to hit the ground running when Cash hangs it up.
From June 2025 to June 2026, the unit completed 425 assists or utilizations. That included 286 on the law enforcement front, 90 education events totaling 6,064 attendees, 21 wildlife hazing situations – including unsuccessful trapping attempts for targeted hard releases – seven search and rescue deployments and other miscellaneous assists ranging from instructing training to Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting security.
“The dogs helped recover many critical pieces of evidence, related to cases ranging from serious crimes against people that occurred on State Parks to felony poaching investigations statewide,” Petkash said. “McArdle, Richman and Lane have done a stellar job of helping set the foundation of the unit since they hired on. We are very excited to be able to extend this work into other parts of the state.”
CPW recently hired two more K-9 handlers to the program in August. Jake Sonberg will be paired with a dog and go through training and will cover the Colorado Springs, Lamar and Pueblo areas and the surrounding state parks. Elijah Columbia accepted the West Slope North position to cover the Hot Sulphur, Meeker and Steamboat Springs areas and those state parks.
Once fully trained and in the field this fall, the program will be fully staffed with six K-9s.
“K-9’s were a tool that CPW was missing for many years, after the retirement of former CPW Lead Investigator Bob Thompson’s K-9 named Shadow,” Petkash said. “That is no longer the case thanks to officers like Phil Gurule, Zach Picard and Brock McArdle, who took on additional duties in the K-9 Pilot Program, as well as their forward thinking supervisors who gave it the greenlight. The creation of the statewide K9 Unit allowed us to provide these benefits across the entire state. Whether evidence needs to be located, bear conflict needs mitigated, missing people need to be found or an education event needs bolstered, the K9 Unit is ready to serve as a force multiplier.”
By John Livingston. John is the Southwest region public information officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
