Leesburg Police K-9 Teams Garner Top Honors at Regional Iron Dog Competition

The Leesburg Police Department’s K-9 Unit delivered a standout performance at the 2025 Iron Dog Competition, securing multiple top awards across various categories. Held on April 5 at Kettle Run High School in Nokesville, Virginia, the event brought together approximately 35 law enforcement K-9 teams from throughout Virginia and the Washington, D.C. region. The competition tested participants with a 1.5-mile course featuring a range of challenges that evaluated the physical and tactical capabilities of both handlers and their canine partners.

Leesburg’s four K-9 teams competed in disciplines such as suspect searches, odor detection, agility, and apprehension exercises. Their strong showing at the event reflected the department’s emphasis on continuous training and operational readiness. Among the award recipients, Senior Police Officer L. Brickley and K-9 Elmore secured first place in both the Top Narcotics K-9 and Article Search categories, and finished second in Vehicle Sniff for Narcotics Detection.

Officer First Class L. Weible-Gallupe and K-9 Iris also earned top honors, placing first in Narcotics Detection – Carousel Search and second in the Top Narcotics K-9 category. Additionally, Senior Police Officer J. Sullivan and K-9 Dan placed second in the Box Search for Narcotics Detection, while Senior Police Officer P. Kidd and K-9 Riley earned third place in Explosives Detection – Box Search.

The competition, organized by the Fauquier K-9 and Community Organization in partnership with the Virginia Police Canine Association, is an annual event designed to enhance interagency collaboration and showcase the effectiveness of K-9 units in law enforcement. The Leesburg Police Department praised the efforts of its teams and reaffirmed its commitment to high standards of public safety and community engagement.

Article by multiple RFHC contributors, based upon information from the Leesburg Police Department press release.

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