Almost everyone has heard that a dog is man’s best friend.  For hundreds of Ohio police dogs, such a statement has much more significance than one may realize.  They search and rescue, sniff out illegal drugs and explosives, track criminals, detain dangerous persons and make traffic stops.  Along with their handlers, they work hard every day to provide safe communities in which to live, work and raise families. 

The Ohio Law Enforcement K9 Association was founded in 2003 by Ohio Deputy Sheriffs, Ohio Police Officers and Ohio State Troopers to bring much needed canine training and equipment to departments at a reasonable cost.  With more and more departments starting and enlarging K9 units, our mission is to improve K9 use, training and confidence by forming partnerships with multiple jurisdictions throughout the state of Ohio.  OLEKA wants to be the glue that binds all K9 handlers together.

OLEKA members enjoy working and training with some of the best in the business.  We strive to stay apprised of regulations and current events affecting our profession and share with our membership through trainings and seminars.  Topics include K9 Case Law, First Aid, Decoy Work, Tracking, Tactics, Survival Training, K9 Behavior, Certifications and more.  The Members Only area of our website offers members ways to stay in contact with other K9 Officers throughout Ohio.  Our Mentor Program gives new handlers the opportunity to partner with a more experienced K9 Officer from another department for additional guidance, feedback and educational opportunities.

Over the past 15 years, through donations and sponsorships, we’ve supplied K9 units across the State of Ohio with protective vests for their canines, heat monitoring and bail out systems for their canine vehicles and educational grants for additional training from instructors throughout the United States.