Sheriff K-9 Looks Adorably Proud in His ‘Back-to-School’ Photo

This is what a Very Good Boy looks like.

By Julie Scagell August 11, 2022

K-9 Chico knows how to pose for a picture

Picture day is always exciting for kids of all ages—and that includes fur babies. Meet Chico, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office K-9 who took things quite seriously this year when it came to a photo marking his 5th year on the job. Why should kids have all the fun?

“Chico is a valued member of our team and we are always thrilled to see him bring smiles to so many faces,” the Orlando Sheriff’s Department tells Tinybeans. “His human partner and handler on the road, Corporal Robert Lees, wanted Chico to feel extra special during our department’s routine identification photo shoot. While this was Chico’s first time in his handler’s uniform, he is used to wearing his K-9 identification uniform while working to protect and serve the people of Orange County.”

Chico is seven years old (that’s already 35 years of service in dog years). This is what a Very Good Boy looks like.

The German Shepherd, who has been working with the sheriff’s office for about five years, is used to being in front of the camera. A few years ago, he even went a bit formal. “K-9 Chico posed for his new ID badge today,” the Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook. “He even wore a tie for the photo.”

Life hasn’t always been easy for this handsome pup. When his owners noticed he was losing a lot of weight even after being fed “12 cups of food a day,” they took him to the vet and found out he had endocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). This meant he wasn’t digesting food the way that he should. With that information, they were able to treat his condition by giving him the enzymes he lacked in his food. Chico started gaining weight and was able to return to doing what he loves most—being a patrol dog. In fact, as far as his coworkers know, he’s the only working K-9 with EPI on patrol.

“K-9 Chico isn’t afraid to wear his life vest,” the Sheriff’s Office shared in another post along with a photo of the pup, “even to catch bad guys! Here he is deploying from an airboat to catch three bad guys who stole a car. Be like Chico when you’re out on the water. Wear your life vest!!”

When Chico isn’t running patrol, he’s also a drug K-9 and spends his nights living with his handler and his family. During his downtime, “he loves Tug-O-War and his Kong,” the Orange County Sheriff’s department said.