Boulder Police K9 Team

Name: Astro
Handler: Officer Caitlyn Donahue
Breed: Labrador Retriever / Shorthaired Pointer mix
Age: Born in 2022
From: Washington state
Specialty: Explosives detection
Role: Explosives detection and community engagement
Joined Boulder Police: June 2023

K9 Astro is an explosives detection dog who joined the Boulder Police Department in June 2023. She and her handler, Officer Caitlyn Donahue, work together to detect explosives and assist officers during investigations and calls involving firearms, explosives and other potentially dangerous materials.

Astro's addition to Boulder Police was made possible through a generous gift from a community member. Her arrival marked the return of a police K9 program to Boulder after more than 20 years.

Astro's name carries a special meaning for the Boulder community. It was chosen as a tribute to fallen Boulder Police Officer Eric Talley, whose favorite sports team was the Houston Astros. The name also evokes the stars and heavens, reflecting Officer Talley's strong faith.

Astro was sworn in during a Boulder Police Department oath of office ceremony on June 21, 2023, by Deputy Chief Steve Redfearn.

Astro is also an important part of Boulder Police's community engagement efforts and participates in police and community events throughout the city.

Name: Knox
Handler: Officer Taylor
Breed: Dutch Shepherd
Age: Born in 2024
Specialties: Narcotics detection, tracking and apprehension
Role: Patrol K9
Joined Boulder Police: January 2026
Certification: Patrol and narcotics detection

K9 Knox is a patrol K9 trained in narcotics detection, tracking and apprehension. He works alongside Officer Taylor to help locate illegal narcotics, missing people and suspects and assist officers in resolving potentially dangerous situations.

Knox and Officer Taylor completed hundreds of hours of training and are certified in both patrol work and narcotics detection. Their training included classroom instruction, practical exercises, scenario-based training, legal updates, report writing, deployment standards, canine behavior and real-world problem solving.

Training is conducted in a variety of unpredictable and changing environments to help Knox remain reliable around distractions, in public settings and during rapidly evolving incidents.