What has four legs, a superior nose, goes nuts over an orange football, and is the newest member of the Steamboat Springs Police Department? Well, that that would be police canine Amon, who has been on active duty for the past week with his handler Police Officer Brenden Andrews.
“After several months of bonding and extensive training, it’s great to finally be out on patrol and working with Amon in our community,” said K9 Officer Brendan Andrews. “The K9 unit is now another tool we have for drug interdiction and helping keep the community safe.”
The K9 unit consists of Officer Brenden Andrews, who has been with SSPD for three years, and his partner, a highly trained Belgian Malinois, Amon, who is certified in narcotics detection including heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and ecstasy.
The city’s first police canine arrived at the department during the final week of January from the Netherlands. Andrews and Amon bonded for the next four weeks establishing a close relationship between partners.
The pair then attended a month of intensive training at a Colorado K9 Academy before receiving their certification this past month (March 2025). The team has been on patrol the past week including two drug interdiction deployments.
“Brenden pitched the K9 unit idea after the Yampa Valley experienced four fentanyl deaths,” explained Chief Mark Beckett. “We needed another way to try to stem drug trafficking through the area, and we’re excited to have Amon on the team.”
The SSPD strategic plan identified the objective of implementing a drug K9 for patrol functions and interagency drug interdiction during 2025 and Amon is the first paw in that effort. Long-range, the initiative looks to expand the program with 24/7 K9 services at the SSPD by 2027.
A male, two-year-old, Amon is full grown and weighs in at 50 pounds. He is on a strict high protein diet to stay in top athletic shape. His favorite toy is the orange football that is a reward for a successful training exercise or drug search. As a working police dog, the public should ask Officer Andrews for permission before approaching or reaching toward Amon.
Amon isn’t the only K9 employed by law enforcement in Northwest Colorado. He joins Bella, Winston and Cleo with the Routt County Sheriff’s Office and Odin and Bane with the Craig Police Department.
Content contributed by Public Information Office at the City of Steamboat Springs