John is a detection dog trainer and handler working events for the NFL, NBA and various entertainment venues across the Pacific Northwest. John retired from the Portland Police Bureau as Assistant Chief of Police. After retirement John graduated from Auburn University’s Vapor Wake canine training academy in Alabama and returned to the Pacific Northwest to start this detection dog company. John is the founder of PDX Bomb Dogs, which specializes in explosives, narcotics and contraband detection. The company employs retired law enforcement and military personnel working dogs at events and businesses throughout the Pacific Northwest.

John is a currently a Certifying Official for the Pacific Northwest Police Canine Association and a Security Representative for the National Basketball Association where in addition to general security duties, he assists with detection dog oversight for select NBA events worldwide. John is a K-9 Trial Judge for several canine organizations including the National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW) judging detection dog trails across the Pacific Northwest. Additionally, John trains detection dog teams for law enforcement agencies in Oregon and Washington.

John began his police canine career in 1986 as a Police Service Dog Handler in Portland, Oregon. John has worked and trained Patrol Dogs, Cross Trained Dogs and Single Purpose Detection Dogs for over 30 years. He started Portland’s Detection Dog Program in 1991 and handled the first Detection Dog for the Portland Police Bureau. John is a two-term past president of the Oregon Police Canine Association (OPCA) where he started the Detection Dog component of that association. John authored the State of Oregon Police Animal Protection Legislation.

Shawn serves as an explosives K9 handler, providing services at venues across the Pacific Northwest, encompassing major sporting events for the NBA, MLS, and NWSL. He spent his formative years in Washington State and a significant portion of his youth on bases where is father served as an Army Counterintelligence Officer.

After completing his education, Shawn relocated to the East Coast, where he worked in government affairs and later private credit. Subsequently, he returned to the Pacific Northwest where his work in K-9 would begin. His passion for working dogs started when he got his first tracking and trailing dog, training her in both urban and wilderness search environments. This experience led him to dedicate extensive time to tracking and detection work, culminating in his initial explosive detection certification.

Kevin is a retired law enforcement officer of 25 years with the Washington County Sherriff’s Office in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Kevin was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii and graduated from Waianae High School in 1991. He attended Linfield College and Oregon Institute of Technology before joining the US Army where he was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

After his service in the Army, Kevin returned to the Pacific Northwest where he completed his Associates Degree in Criminal Justice. Soon after he started his law enforcement career with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office where he held the rank of deputy, corporal, and sergeant. He was a part of several special teams including Bike patrol, Field Training Officer, Canine Handler, and Reserve Unit Supervisor.

Kevin worked with three police dogs in his 9 years as a Police Patrol Dog Handler. Additionally, he supervised the K9 Unit for two years before taking over as supervisor of the Reserve Deputy Program. As a police patrol dog handler, Kevin grew passionate about the trade. He dedicated a lot of his time and effort to learn and strive to improve the Canine Program at the Sherriff’s office. In 2008, Kevin became an Oregon Police Canine Association Patrol Dog Trainer. He instructed multiple 10-week (400 hours) Basic Police Patrol Canine Course and assisted with other canine training classes. Kevin also brought the Police K9 Competition to Washington County, where patrol dog teams from around the state compete in a controlled and family friendly community event.

Joel is a retired police officer from the Port of Portland PD, where he served 27.5 years, 25 of which were as an Explosive Detection K9 Handler. He attended his K9 handler school at Lackland Airforce Base in 1998. Joel has worked a total of 4 Dogs during his 25 years as a K9 Handler. His primary mission was to keep the traveling public safe at the Portland International Airport. Also, during this time, he helped protect 5 different US presidents when they visited the Northwest along with other domestic and foreign VIP's. Joel and his dog teams were also members of the Metropolitan Explosive Detection Unit which was comprised of Bomb Technicians and K9 teams from Portland Metro Police Departments; while in this unit, he and his K9's assisted law enforcement agencies throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington.

Taylor is a K9 handler with 3 certified dogs: Hank (Explosives/Firearms), Kash (Narcotics) and Harper (Electronic Storage Devices).

Taylor has always had a passion for dogs growing up. She trained her long time childhood dog, Durango, in everything that she could when it came to doing agility. Although she always has had a passion for dogs, she pursued an athletic career throughout high school and eventually got recruited to play basketball at Columbia University in New York City. After graduating, she did some non-profit work in the city but eventually would return home to Oregon to be closer to her family and so that she could get a dog.

She eventually found herself with the opportunity to complete an 1000 hour internship and would later be hired to become a professional dog trainer. She has been training dogs for the last 3.5 years. Her passion was quickly found with detection and she got her first working dog, Kash. After certification, the two spent 1.5 years working in a shipping facility looking for illegal contraband being shipped out. The highlight of their working experience was when Kash found MDMA before it was shipped out. She then got Harper who she trained to detect Electronic Storage Devices and upon certification in 2023, Harper became just the 2nd dog in Oregon to be able to do this. And finally she got Hank. He was a patrol dog for a couple of years, but she repurposed him into an Explosives Detection Dog and the two have been working concerts, NBA games, Motocross Events and MLS games since.

She also has her own dog training business, Beacon K9, where she helps dogs with everything from basic obedience to detection and tracking.

Dave is an explosives detection dog handler. He served as a Reserve Police Officer and developed a passion for working with K9’s. He has years of hands-on experience in canine protection, detection, and tracking. He particularly enjoys the Belgian Malinois breed and all their versatility, personality and temperament. Dave trains obedience, tracking, detection, and protection dogs both privately and with law enforcement agencies.

Dave has a passion for helping others be prepared for the unexpected, and is an active instructor in CPR, First Aid, Stop the Bleed, situational awareness, and firearms.

Tawnya is an explosives/firearms detection dog handler.  She has worked events for MLS and at other venues around the Portland metro area.

Tawnya grew up with dogs and always wanted to be a K9 handler.  That goal became reality in August 2024.

Tawnya has been a member of the Veterans Affairs Police force since 2021 and is currently a sergeant.  Prior to that she worked at the TSA for 10.5 years holding increasingly responsible positions. Tawnya’s career shows the passion she has to keep communities safe.

Bob is a former United States Marine Corps Sergeant specializing in CommCenter Operations.

Shortly after leaving the Marines Bob began his law enforcement career with the Portland Police Bureau, serving the next 30 years working patrol, K9 and the Auto Theft Task Force. Shortly before being promoted to Sergeant, Bob took on the task of rebuilding the K9 Unit, which also entailed training his own patrol dog, “Bully” and working the streets with the officers assigned to the K9 Unit. After 9 ½ years Bob and Bully retired from the K9 Unit, with 359 human apprehensions.

After retiring from the Portland Police Bureau Bob worked for LoJack Corporation, a company utilizing radio frequency technology to recover stolen vehicles. Bob was the Oregon/SW Washington Law Enforcement Liaison for LoJack, which furnished the tracking technology used by law enforcement agencies to locate stolen vehicles equipped with LoJack transceivers.

For the past 13 ½ years Bob has been a certified judge for NACSW (National Association of Canine Scent Work). Observing and judging a cornucopia of civilian K9's hunting for odor in numerous challenging settings has been an enjoyable and memorable experience.

In December of 2020 Bob began working explosive detection dogs for NBA events at the Moda Center and MLS events at Providence Park in Portland. Bob is currently a NBA Security Representative working Trailblazer home games at the Moda Center in Portland, OR

Ben has always had a passion for dogs having grown up with several during his years at home prior to college. His first dog, a German Shepard, is the reason for his love and affinity to the breed. Shortly after 9/11 and after graduating college, he joined the military and spent a total of 15 years on active duty and with the Dept. of Defense.

After moving back to the PNW and settling in Oregon, time and space allowed for his first working-dog, Wren, an East German Shepard. Wren began tracking and detection work, eventually earning her and Ben their narcotics certification in 2024.

Ben has been stationed in multiple locations overseas deploying numerous times to the Middle East and Latin America. He has worked with, trained, and been trained by operators from Air Force, Army and Navy Special Operations in a variety of tactical combat, search and rescue, field trauma, survival, and other related skill sets.

Shelby is an explosives detection dog handler working events for the NBA and various entertainment venues throughout the Pacific Northwest. Working dogs are one of her passions and she is committed to excellence.

Shelby grew up in a police K-9 family. She has years of hands on experience with multiple canines in training, handling, socialization, and care of police dogs.

In addition to her work as explosives detection dog handler Shelby works full time as a flight attendant for a major airline. Shelby also has a background as an EMT and volunteer firefighter.

Mark is an explosives detection dog handler, working events for the MSL, NWSL, NBA and various entertainment venues around the Pacific Northwest.

Mark retired after a 35 year police career, first with the Portland Police Bureau, where as an officer he worked multiple assignments, including patrol dog handler and Field Training Officer. He then did a second career with the Gresham Police Department, once again working various assignments as a patrol officer.

While working as a patrol dog handler for the Portland Police Bureau, Mark was a member of the Oregon Police Canine Association (OPCA), serving a term as the association’s treasurer.

Mark is also currently employed by the NBA as a Security Representative.