MCCLAIN COUNTY K9 UNIT
MCCLAIN COUNTY K9 UNIT DEPUTIES
The K9 Units of MCSO serve the citizens of McClain County, but is also available to other law enforcement agencies in the region for assistance when the need arises. The McClain County Sheriff’s Office K9 program is made possible through grant programs and various donations made throughout the community.
K9 Unit Deputy Shroyer and Lolo
K9 Unit Deputy Shroyer and Lolo
Canine Deputy Shroyer has been in law enforcement for approximately 16 years. He served with the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office for most of that time. In June of 2021, Shroyer came to work for the McClain County Sheriff’s Office.
His experience includes serving as a first-line supervisor in the patrol division as a Master Sergeant for approximately one year. He has been in the Canine unit for about 11 years and served as Canine Supervisor for about one year.
Shroyer has an associate’s degree in police science from OSU-OKC, an advanced Cleet certificate, 12 years of patrol experience, and four years working in the Cleveland County Courthouse.
Shroyer and Deputy LoLo began working together in January of 2022. Deputy LoLo is an 8-year-old German Shepard who likes long walks on the beach. His favorite thing in life is his toy which is a yellow tug.
Deputy LoLo is a German Shepherd that was imported from the Czech Republic and placed into service with the McClain County Sheriff’s Office in 2016. LoLo is duly trained and appointed to the K9 Division of the McClain County Sheriff’s Office for the purpose of various types of Narcotics Detection. LoLo is also trained in tracking and is a valuable resource when it comes to locating a lost or missing person or an evading suspect. Deputy LoLo meets and exceeds the certification requirements for the State of Oklahoma.
Deputy LoLo has a great track record of assisting the MCSO. Recently, he has assisted and:
• saved one person from freezing to death after a two-mile track.
• apprehended a homicide suspect on a short track in Purcell.
Deputy Shroyer and Deputy LoLo have been to several schools in the McClain County area to keep our children safe. Deputy LoLo is a valuable asset to the citizens of McClain County.
K9 Unit Deputy Slabaugh and Ares
K9 Unit Deputy Slabaugh and Ares
Damon Slabaugh is one of our newest deputies here at McClain County. Originally from Broken Bow, OK, he moved with his wife to Oklahoma City shortly after graduating from East Central University in Ada. He received his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and completed the C.O.P.S program through the university. Slabaugh started his law enforcement career at Konawa Police Department as a reserve officer before finding a full-time position at the Town of Dibble’s Police Department and after spending 2 years at Dibble transferred to the McClain County Sheriff’s Office. In his time at Dibble, Slabaugh stated he found what he wanted to do in law enforcement; that being a K-9 handler. He handled a single-purpose German Shepherd for Dibble’s Police Department prior to coming to the Sheriff’s Office. After taking over the K9 position at Dibble, Slabaugh went on to complete the Basic and Advanced Handler’s Courses offered through the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.
“I was always interested in the idea of being a K9 handler and once I got a taste of what it’s like to handle a dog, I was hooked and knew this is what I want to do in law enforcement.” – Slabaugh
Slabaugh recently helped the Sheriff’s Office in acquiring a new K-9 through the AKC Reunite Program as well as received help from the Sheriff’s Office in securing donations to finish paying off the purchase of the dog. Slabaugh’s new K9 partner, and newest addition to the field, is K9 Ares. Ares was born and raised overseas but received the bulk of his training right here in Oklahoma at Torchlight K9 of Tulsa. Ares is a 2-year-old, dual-purpose Belgian Malinois trained to detect the odor of narcotics (cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, and heroin) as well as track and, if the need arises, apprehend individuals. Slabaugh and K9 Ares became a certified K9 team on May 15, 2022. Slabaugh and K9 Ares as assigned to the field division of the McClain County Sheriff’s Office.
“Ares is a huge asset to have in the field. His tracking is fantastic which I think is very important considering the amount of rural area we cover. He’s kind of a dork until it’s time for him to do his job and then you can see a total flip of the switch in his behavior.” – Slabaugh
Slabaugh and K9 Ares have already started putting in hours of training prior to their certification and they continue their training to a high standard. Slabaugh has high expectations of himself and K9 Ares in their own regards but even more so in their ability as a team.