The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is excited to introduce the newest member of the K-9 Unit: K-9 Kyro! Kyro will serve alongside Master Deputy Marcus Dawson, whose previous partner, K-9 Baro, retired in August.
Master Deputy Marcus Dawson and K-9 Kyro
Kyro, a German Shepherd, was born on December 13, 2022, in Poland. He was purchased from the Alabama Canine Law Enforcement Officer’s Training Center at no cost to Flagler County taxpayers due to a generous donation from Dr. César DePaço and his wife, Deanna Padovani-DePaço. The $13,500 donation covers not only the cost to purchase the dog, but covers additional costs associated with training, specialized equipment, healthcare needs, and food as well. Kyro is the 10th dog donated to the Agency by the DePaço family since 2015, saving taxpayers over $110,000.
For years, the DePaços have supported law enforcement by providing financial resources to fund K-9 units across the country and internationally.
“We thank Dr. DePaço and Deanna for their continued support of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office and always supporting our K-9 Unit,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “They have graciously donated every K-9 we currently use to serve our community by locating criminals, locating and seizing narcotics, and helping find missing persons.”
Sheriff Rick Staly and Commander Scott Vedder pose with the donation check from the DePaço family.
The name “Kyro” was chosen after FCSO asked the public for suggestions on social media. After receiving over 1,500 comments across Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter), the Agency announced on social media that the winning name was picked over finalists “Rico” and “Atlas.” All three names were suggested by members of the public.
“Thank you to our social media community for helping us pick out a great name,” added Sheriff Staly. “K-9 Kyro has big paws to fill replacing K-9 Baro, but I have no doubt he will be an excellent addition to our K-9 Unit. He has some extensive training ahead of him but will soon be ready to take a bite out of crime in no time!”
Like his predecessor, Baro, Kyro will be trained in both patrol and narcotics detection. He has already begun his training after receiving a clean bill of health from FCSO’s veterinarian.
