Mar 13, 2015

On March 13, 1942, the Quartermaster Corps of the United States Army began training dogs for the newly established War Dog Program, or “K-9 corps.” Over a million dogs served on both sides during World War I.

The Baltimore City Police Department deployed their first K-9 unit on March 1, 1956. Terrance Patrick Cahill, a British police dog trainer that joined the Baltimore police department in 1959, was instrumental in establishing their program, as well as the police dog program in Washington, D.C.

: The city police commissioner reviews new K-9 corps members. (William H. Mortimer/Baltimore Sun, 1968)

: Officer Robert Lamon guides his dog Yankee for a performance for foreign dignitaries. (Ralph L. Robinson/Baltimore Sun, 1968)

: K-9 Corps dogs of Baltimore City Police department stage a demonstration at the corps training area for 50 foreign dignitaries. (Ralph L. Robinson/Baltimore Sun, 1968)

: Officer Leon Smith takes his dog Major over a low obstacle. (Baltimore Sun archives, 1969)

: Terrance Patrick Cahill helped grown the city’s police dog program in 1959. (Baltimore Sun archives)

: Nine-month-old William Kerbe, a grandson of city police Sgt. William Kerbe, shares his playpen with Kirke, a police dog, on May of 1959 in his Howard County home. (Richard Stacks/Baltimore Sun)

: John Luke, Officer James Alford and Julian Luke, 7, offer congratulations to a new K-9 recruit. (Ralph L. Robinson/Baltimore Sun, 1976)

: Howard County police dog, Schnaps. (Joe Willis/Baltimore Sun, 1978)

: Sgt. Sam Chayt and Zack of the Howard County police. (William G, Hotz Sr./Baltimore Sun, 1987)

: K-9 officers Dave Garner (L) acts as a suspect as officer Don Hindenlang (with the Harford County Sheriffs Dept.) and his dog “Bir” train searching and holding. (Mark Bugnaski/Baltimore Sun, 1994)

: Sgt. Steve Shatzer and his K-9 “Ryn” together in front of the Westminster City Police Station. Ryn and Sgt. Shatzer answered a burglary call and Ryn was hit over the head with a pipe. (Michelle Gienow/Baltimore Sun, 1995)

: Officer Robert Griffith of Baltimore County Police, lets his children Grethen, 5, and Whitney, 10, congratulate new K-9 officer, “Brutus.” (Jed Kirschbaum/Baltimore Sun, 1996)

: The Maryland State Police have the oldest continuously operating K-9 unit of any state agency in the country. Here is TFC John Carhart with “Ajax” (Jed Kirschbaum/Baltimore Sun, 1997)

: From left troopers with their dogs are TFC John Carhart with Ajax, TFC Barry Stonestreet kneeling with Bocho and TFC Scott Angstadt with his German Shepherd Celo. (Jed Kirschbaum/Baltimore Sun, 1997)

: “Ajax” looks through cruiser window. (Jed Kirschbaum/Baltimore Sun, 1997)

: Bomb squad members and police k-9 units enter a state office building on Preston St. to investigate one of several area bomb threats. (Elizabeth Malby/Baltimore Sun, 1999)

From the Vault: K-9 Corps in Baltimore

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