Meet OSP’s two wildlife conservation K-9 teams – one from Bend – Saturday at Bonneville Fish Hatchery

CASCADE LOCKS, Ore. (KTVZ) – The Oregon Wildlife Foundation and the Fish & Wildlife Division of the Oregon State Police are giving new meaning to the phrase "Dog Days of Summer'' by inviting the public to meet the OSP Wildlife Conservation K-9 teams between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday at Bonneville Fish Hatchery. 

You will meet Senior Trooper Josh Wolcott and K-9 Buck and Trooper Shae Ross and his K-9 Scout (based in Bend) and learn more about how they are fighting poaching in Oregon. The event features a meet and greet with the teams at 10 a.m. with demonstrations at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. An activity book will be available for younger attendees. 

"The Foundation is extremely pleased to be a part of this program designed to combat poaching in Oregon," said Tim Greseth, Oregon Wildlife Foundation's Executive Director. "The illegal taking of wildlife and fish is causing real and lasting damage to their populations." 

OWF, in partnership with OSP, launched Oregon's first Wildlife Conservation K-9 team in 2019. Senior Trooper Wolcott and Buck have conducted numerous poaching investigations and logged hundreds of hours in the field since the inception of the program. Senior Trooper Wolcott and Buck work from OSP's Springfield Area Command but have been deployed to multiple locations across Oregon over the last 2.5 years. 

The effectiveness of the first K-9 team led OSP's leadership to approve an additional team in January of this year. The newest team works from OSP Area Command in Bend. OWF and its donors financed most of the costs of the program's expansion. Ongoing K-9 expenses, primarily veterinary care, are funded by donations from the public.

"We hope that folks will consider helping out this valuable program by making a charitable donation toward the ongoing cost of care for the K-9 members of the teams," said Greseth. 

Poaching in Oregon

Oregon and all other states adhere to the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, which operates on seven interdependent principles, including 'wildlife resources are conserved and held in trust for all citizens' and 'wildlife may only be killed for a legitimate, non-frivolous purpose.' Our wildlife laws, including those that make poaching illegal, are rooted in this model of conservation.

Poaching is the illegal taking of birds, wildlife and fish. Poaching also includes habitat destruction. 

According to the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife's (ODFW) Stop Poaching webpage, "Poaching can take many forms. Shooting a raptor. Keeping fish out of season. Sharing tags. Exceeding bag limits. People working the system to get resident licenses or tags when they aren't residents are also poaching."

ODFW partners with OSP to enforce our wildlife laws. Only the states of Oregon and Alaska work in this way; all other state wildlife agencies employ their own game wardens. The OSP Wildlife Conservation K-9 teams are an essential tool in the fight against poaching. Hundreds of poached animals and fish are recovered each year, but that represents only a fraction of the total lost to poaching in Oregon.

Fish and wildlife managers and law enforcement officials rely on the general public to report poaching and suspicious activities. To report crimes against fish, wildlife or habitat, please use the Turn In Poachers (TIP) line, 1-800-452-7888 or OSP (677) from a mobile phone. You can also provide information via email: TIP@osp.oregon.gov.

Oregon Wildlife Foundation asks you to consider making a donation to the OSP Fish & Wildlife Conservation K-9 Fund to help offset ongoing expenses associated with the canine members of the teams. Donations to the fund help defray the costs of food, veterinary care, training equipment, and related supplies. To support and learn more about the OSP Wildlife Conservation K-9 program, visit www.myowf.org/k9team. 

Oregon Wildlife Foundation

Oregon Wildlife Foundation is an apolitical operating charitable foundation dedicated to increasing private and public funding support for wildlife conservation projects in Oregon. Since their founding in 1981, OWF has directed tens of millions of dollars in private and public support to a broad range of projects throughout Oregon. For more information visit www.myowf.org.