Wesley Chapel residents got a closer look at one of their public safety resources Wednesday, Aug. 5, when the Pasco County Sheriff's Office spotlighted its K-9 unit for National Work Like a Dog Day.

The agency posted a tribute on its official X account, describing its K-9s as specially trained to respond to critical calls and serve Pasco County citizens with unique skills. Four photos showed the dogs alongside their uniformed handlers.

The same day, Pasco County Commissioner Lisa Yeager visited the Sheriff's Office K-9 Training facility. Yeager, who represents District 4, posted about the visit on her X account:

@lisayeager5: "Today, on National Work Like a Dog Day, we had the pleasure of spending time at the @PascoSheriff K-9 Training facility. These dogs are truly amazing!"

Yeager was appointed to the District 4 seat by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2024.

The K-9 unit handles more than high-stakes patrol work. The agency also fields four therapy dogs that make community visits around the county. One of them, K-9 Penelope, is handled by Corporal Keys. The pair visited Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller offices in New Port Richey on May 28, part of a regular rotation that brings the therapy dogs into public-facing county buildings.

Sheriff Chris Nocco leads the agency, which patrols all of Pasco County including Wesley Chapel's growing neighborhoods. The K-9 unit responds to calls ranging from narcotics detection to suspect tracking, though the agency did not detail specific recent deployments in its Aug. 5 post.

Residents can reach the Sheriff's Office non-emergency line at (727) 847-8102.