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Kennedy Space Center K-9 Unit Adds New Troopers

By  //  July 20, 2013

handsome Belgian Malinois dogs

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These Belgian Malinois dogs, who arrived at Kennedy Space Center a year ago and completed training in November, are eagerly patrolling the center. At left is LJ (Loetje), who is 2½ years old, and at right is DJ (Django), who is 3 years old. (KSC image)

BREVARD COUNTY • KENNEDY SPACE CENTER – Kennedy Space Center’s K-9 unit recently added some new troopers to the squad.

A Belgian Malinois working with Naval Security. (wikipedia.org image)
A Belgian Malinois working with Naval Security. (wikipedia.org image)

These two handsome Belgian Malinois dogs, who arrived at Kennedy Space Center a year ago and completed training in November, are eagerly patrolling the center.

Belgian Malinois are from the Netherlands, and a breed of Belgian sheepherding dogs that are popular with the police and military. Each dog receives a minimum of 400 hours of training to be certified to detect narcotics and explosives, and criminal apprehension training to assist with the Emergency Response Team and tracking suspects trying to evade arrest.

A normal day’s activities include sweeps of designated facilities, parking lots and random vehicle inspections at entrance gates. During space shuttle launches and landings they are out and about performing sweeps of facilities and launch site viewing areas.

Both dogs have been trained to detect explosives, track lost or wanted people and apprehend violent criminals.