Rockbridge County swears in K9 Mako for drug detection and patrol

Rockbridge County and Lexington City swore in K9 Mako on Tuesday, May 27, 2026, officially certifying the dual-purpose Belgian Malinois for drug detection and patrol duty. The move gave the Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office a new working partner built for the kind of intensity hobby owners recognize in high-drive dogs, but redirected into patrol work, detection, and field response.

The sheriff’s office described K9 teams as “a force multiplier for our office, plain and simple,” saying they give deputies the ability to locate drugs, track suspects, and resolve situations more safely and efficiently. That is the real-world job of a dog like Mako: not a family companion, but an operational partner trained to handle both narcotics work and patrol functions under pressure.

The county’s K-9 unit is described as a specialized group of deputies who use trained service dogs to perform the full range of general law-enforcement duties. That work does not end when a shift does. Each K-9 deputy is responsible for the dog’s ongoing training, care, and well-being, a reminder that a dog with this much drive only stays effective when the handler keeps the routine tight and the standards high.

Sheriff Tony A. McFaddin Jr., who has more than 30 years of law-enforcement experience, previously served as a K-9 deputy himself. That background gives the new certification added weight inside an office that dates to 1778 and currently lists a K-9/Community Response Team in its staff directory, with Sgt. Chris Wade named as the K-9 deputy.

For dog people, Mako’s debut is a clean example of working-drive success. The same energy that can overwhelm a casual home becomes an advantage when it is channeled into obedience, scent work, patrol support, and suspect tracking. In Rockbridge County, that intensity is not being treated as a quirk. It is being put to work, and on Tuesday the county made that official when Mako was sworn in for duty.