Guilford County Sheriff’s Office mourns retired K-9 Ethan, died at 12

Ethan spent seven years on the job for the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office, most visibly at the Greensboro Courthouse, where he conducted hundreds of explosive sweeps and averaged more than 90 a year. The retired K-9 died at age 12 years and 7 months, leaving behind a record of courthouse security, patrol support and public-event protection that extended far beyond routine police work.

The sheriff’s office said Ethan was a dual-purpose dog trained in explosive detection, tracking, apprehension and search work. He assisted patrol units with criminal tracking and was deployed for presidential security details, dignitary visits, the Wyndham Championship and the High Point Furniture Market, giving him a role in some of the county’s highest-profile and most security-sensitive events. Ethan retired in 2022 after serving the agency for seven years.

Ethan’s background reflected the reach of the sheriff’s office itself. He was born in the Netherlands and trained in Pennsylvania before joining Guilford County’s K-9 ranks. The sheriff’s office said its Canine Unit sits within the Special Operations Division and provides officer protection, apprehension, suspect searches, evidence retrieval and searches for lost children and adults, work that mirrors the tasks Ethan handled across Greensboro and surrounding parts of the county.

The county also runs two detention centers, in Greensboro and High Point, and says the sheriff’s office’s mission is to reduce crime and the fear of crime while protecting residents. K-9s like Ethan are part of that public-facing presence, moving between courthouse duty, patrol work and community appearances. The sheriff’s office said Ethan was known as a friendly, calm dog who was comfortable around children and a familiar presence at community events, including Christmas parades.

His death marks the loss of a working dog that became a recognizable part of Guilford County public safety. For the sheriff’s office, Ethan represented the quiet side of law enforcement that many people see only in passing, but that helps secure courthouses, major events and daily operations across the county.