TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — And then there were eight!
The Florida Sheriff’s Association announced that round three of its K9 March Madness Tournament has officially opened, and three of the remaining “Elite 8” are from Northeast Florida.
“As Florida gears up for the big tournament on the court, it’s time for YOU to decide who will be crowned the Top Dog in the Sunshine State,” the association says. “These aren’t just cute faces; they are heroes on four paws.”
After the first two rounds of eliminations, the following K9’s are still active in the tournament:
K9 Maverick – Charlotte CountyK9 Mako – Flagler CountyK9 Goose – Highlands CountyK9 Ruger – JacksonvilleK9 Remington – Lee CountyK9 Beau – Okaloosa CountyK9 Scout* – St. Johns CountyK9 Rigby – Escambia County
Voting is set to close on April 4 at 7 p.m.
Meet the mutts
K9 Ruger is golden in more ways than one. This boy is getting up there in years, now eight years old and approaching retirement this summer, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said. He currently specializes in finding missing people, but used to sniff out narcotics.
K9 Scout* (yes, the asterisk is part of his name) is a German Wirehaired Pointer and is trained in sniffing out narcotics. He joined the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office’s Youth Resource Division in 2024 and works to keep schools and students safe.
Next time you are walking along the Flagler Beach Boardwalk and see a fin poking out of the ocean, say hi to K9 Mako! The sheriff’s office says that the nearly two-year-old is a dual-purpose pup, trained in both patrol and narcotics detection.
