Arlington, WA (February 24, 2021) – The newest member of the Stillaguamish Tribal Police is hardworking, eager to keep casino guests and Team Members safe, and has four legs.
Odin, also called by his Lushootseed Tribal name Sqʷəbayʔ (pronounced squaw-bye), is a 20-month-old German Shepherd. He has been a member of SPD since September 2020, when he was assigned to his handler, K9 Officer Dana Bahrakis.
Officer Bahrakis and Odin have been an active team for about three months. In October 2020, they were certified through the North American Police Work Dog Association. Then, in November 2020, they were certified through the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission as a “Detection Team”.
To become certified, Officer Bahrakis and Odin attended a 200-hour narcotic detection course at Shallow Creek Kennels in Pennsylvania, a nationally renowned training facility for police dogs. The team then completed another 40 hours of training with a local K-9 handler, and ultimately met the Washington State Standards of Police Narcotics K-9 Training Certification. Odin is trained specifically in the detection of odors emanating from cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine.
Aside from receiving several certificates from completed trainings, the team has also received recognition for positive alerts while working as a narcotics K-9 team locally, which have resulted in seizures of property and cash.
When he isn’t keeping the community safe, Odin lives at home with Officer Bahrakis. He loves to play fetch, tug, and go for walks. Odin has two favorite toys, one for work (a ball that is used to reward him for doing a good job) and one at home (his Kong bone).
Angel Of The Winds Casino Resort looks forward to working with Officer Bahrakis and Odin in the future, continuing to keep guests, Team Members, and the community safe.
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