BEND, Ore. -- The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday it is excited to announce its newest K9 team, Deputy Marshall Dean and his K-9 partner, Creed.

K-9 Creed is a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois, a breed known for its incredible drive and focus and is often chosen for demanding law enforcement assignments, the agency said in a news release that continues below:

Creed comes to DCSO after completing advanced training overseas and additional development at Tarheel Canine Training in South Carolina. Deputy Dean began his law enforcement career in 2017 with Benton County and has served on the DCSO Patrol Unit for the past three years.

Deschutes County Interim Sheriff Ty Rupert says K-9 Creed joining the team was made possible by a $20,000 donation from Gary and Dixie Baker of Sisters.

“We are pleased to see Deputy Dean take on this new assignment with K-9 Creed, and we are grateful for the donation that made it possible to expand our K-9 team this year,” Rupert said.

“Our long‑term goal is to have a K-9 unit on every patrol team, because dogs serve as effective de-escalation tools and an added layer of protection that keeps our deputies safe on every call.”

Creed is a dual-purpose K-9 trained in detection and apprehension, allowing him to locate specific types of contraband and assist deputies in safely apprehending fleeing or dangerous suspects. This combination of skills is an important part of keeping both our community and our deputies safe.

Much like his cinematic namesake, who never shied away from a tough bout, K-9 Creed proved he’s ready for the big leagues during a call on Saturday.

After a driver fled a traffic stop and hid inside a home in Deschutes River Woods, Deputy Dean deployed K-9 Creed, who zeroed in on the suspect’s hiding spot under mattresses. Thanks to Creed’s quick work, deputies safely took the suspect into custody without further incident.

After being paired together this summer, Deputy Dean and K9 Creed completed additional training through the Oregon Police K9 Association. They are now fully certified and ready to begin serving the residents of Deschutes County.

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office would like to extend its sincere appreciation to Gary and Dixie for their generosity and continued support of our office. K-9 Creed would not be here today without their donation.