Odin, a K-9 for the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office for years, died this week, and will forever be remembered for his hard work for the force. The Prescott Police Department also announced the retirement of K-9 Caesar due to health concerns.
Odin was a German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois mix that was imported from the Czech Republic as a one-year-old. Donny Knutson of the sheriff’s office trained with the dog for 12 weeks in 2016 before the two began working together day in and day out.
“Whether we’re tracking humans trying to find somebody that way or even trying to find people in cars or in houses… he’s the first line of defense trying to signal us,” Knutson said. “He can smell everything from trace amounts of an odor that he’s taught to find or hundreds of pounds.”
After Odin’s retirement in 2021, the Knutson family took the dog in to live out the rest of his years.
“The bond that’s created. Initially, you’re hand feeding the dog. You go through this 12 weeks of training where you spend 12-14 hours a day side-by-side working,” Knutson said. “You create such a tight bond that after his retirement, it’s like you owe it to him.”
According to Knutson, Odin has found pounds of illegal drugs, murder weapons and helped solve countless cases.
“[The dog has meant] a ton because the ups and downs of the struggles of working together. Chasing some of the most dangerous criminals through the woods and putting ourselves in danger, alerting me of danger,” Knutson said. “It’s really hard to put into words how much having that bond between us together, what it really meant.”
Knutson thanked the Pierce Veterinary Clinic for donating cremation services. He said they have always taken great care of Odin over the years, so the loss hit close to home for them as well.

Caesar
The Prescott Police Department announced that its K-9, Caesar, is retiring due to medical issues. Caesar is a four-year-old German Shepherd that has been a part of the department since 2022.
“His contributions include narcotics detection, suspect apprehension, search and rescue efforts, and public outreach demonstrations. Despite his young age, Caesar has built an impressive service record and earned the admiration of both his fellow officers and the broader community,” the statement reads.
Officer Jesse Neely, the dog’s handler, will take in Caesar to allow him to live out the rest of his life in retirement. The department thanked the community and the Prescott K-9 Project for making Caesar a possibility in the first place.
Caesar is a beloved face in the community, and residents are going to miss his friendly face at the department.

What do K-9 units do?
Knutson said the dogs can be trained to detect any trace of a smell, which is often drugs explosive devices. The extreme sense of smell allows the dogs to smell anything from a massive quantity of drugs to even the tiniest residue.
“They’re so valuable due to their sensitive sense of smell. They [have] 10,000 to 20,000 times more olfactory senses than a human does,” Knutson said. “They’re able to pick up those small intricacies.”
When Odin retired, Knutson said it took the dog some time to learn the house dog life. He gave Odin some tasks to keep his mind active and slowly began to help him become more relaxed. Eventually Odin acclimated, but he was always a beloved family dog.
“The family gets quite attached to him,” Knutson said. “Yeah, he’s a work dog like I said in the post, but he wa