New York State Police troopers Kevin Conners and Kylie Black have two of the least stressful jobs during the New York State Fair each year: K-9 unit demonstrators.
“Dogs showcase explosive detection; they showcase narcotics detection,” Black said. “We try to incorporate everything that our dogs do on a daily basis.”
Dogs like bloodhound Todz love the fair for all the people that they get to show off to, Conners said. All three of Conners’ dogs in the K-9 unit have been named after fallen officers.
“Todz looks for people that are lost, missing or criminals that fled the scene,” Conners said. “People like to see the dogs more than us.”
For two weeks every summer, Todz and about six other dogs get to do demonstrations such as rollovers and agility showcases. This year, there are two new puppies in demonstrations, each around 12 weeks old.
Black said the police segment of the fair is a nice opportunity for people to see officers in normal circumstances with dogs just like theirs. Black also said during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, fairgoers voted the police K-9 show the most missed event.
“Ever since I started my career, that’s what I wanted to do, was be a bloodhound handler,” Conners said.
State police also exhibited scuba and forensics units in their section of the state fair. The K-9 unit dog shows run daily at 1:15 and 3:15 p.m., though Black mentioned they are subject to delays or postponement due to weather.